This year the New England Archivists' Day of Service will offer volunteers a variety of experiences at two possible sites. Participating in NEA's Day of Service is a great way to enhance your skills, or learn new ones, and join with colleagues and new friends to serve the profession. Look to further announcements about how to sign up for one of the three Day of Service projects on Thursday, March 23rd.
Sturgis Library:
Project #1: Gravestones and Deeds preservation work
The first at the Sturgis Library will have volunteers encapsulating gravestone rubbings, a project for which prior experience is strongly requested. Mylar and double stick tape are provided; these supplies are partially funded by the Cape Cod Antique Dealers’ Association.
Project #2: Stanley Smith Deed Collection online database
For the second project, volunteers will contribute to the Stanley Smith Deed Collection online database, a work-in-progress in collaboration with the Boston Public Library. Amassed by local historian Stanley Webster Smith (1869-1941), this extensive collection includes deeds for land, property, wharfs, salt works, and church pews. Volunteers will work from digital images and fill out forms with keywords and other information (to be entered into the database by a staff member). Volunteers are encouraged to bring their own laptops if they have them.
Bourne Historical Society:
Project: Town Undertaker Edward D. Nickerson diary transcription
The Bourne Historical Society recently received three diaries that are the basis for this volunteer project. The diaries, dating from 1898-1930 and containing photographs and handwritten descriptions of Bourne, are those of town undertaker Edward D. Nickerson, who in the early 1900s was the only undertaker on Cape Cod. Volunteers will transcribe one volume (111 pages, covering 1902-1921) from photocopies of its pages and are encouraged to bring their own laptops, as computers at the historical society are limited (transcriptions may also be handwritten initially). Volunteers’ ideas or suggestions for an upcoming exhibit, tentatively titled “Edward D. Nickerson, A Bourne Original: Undertaker, Environmentalist, Storyteller,” will also be welcome.
Bring your expertise and enthusiasm and help make a difference at one of these cultural heritage institutions on the Cape! (Please note: You do not have to attend the Spring 2017 Meeting in order to participate in this event).
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Attend the NEA Spring 2017 Meeting
"Changing Tides"
March 23-25, 2017
Resort and Conference Center at Hyannis
Hyannis, Massachusetts
Early-bird registration is open through February 19th.
See the NEA website for schedules, rates, and travel information
See you in Hyannis!
