iSchool Capstone

A Presidential Collection: Access and Process Design for Navy Band Archives

Project tags:

archives & special collections

Project poster

The archival record of the U.S. Navy Band has suffered from limited personnel and financial resources for maintenance. The archives consist primarily of images, video footage, operational documents, and musical programs stretching back more than 100 years. As part of its commitment to showcasing history and heritage, the band sought to improve public access to its archives in the immediate and long-term future. I first surveyed the contents and selected items to be a part of an exhibit hosted on the band’s website that highlights its mission to support the President of the United States. I digitized those items, cataloged them using commercial museum software, and wrote the captions to craft the story for the exhibit. Future exhibits now have a template to follow for creation, and a general outline of the contents of the archive provide the band with guidance on how best to allocate their resources.

Project participants:

Amy Smith

MLIS