Quipu
A knotted cord used
by the Pueblo Indians to record and
transmit information during the Pueblo Revolt of 1680.
| A NEWSLETTER PUBLISHED
BY THE NEW MEXICO STATE RECORDS CENTER AND ARCHIVES 1205 Camino Carlos Rey, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87505 (505) 476-7900 FAX (505) 476-7901 |
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July 2001
Volume
6.2
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In this issue:
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Erica Garcia graduated from the University of New Mexico in December of 2000. She received a B.A. degree in Latin American Studies and Spanish. Her interests are New Mexico and Mexican history, social anthropology, Latin American politics, Chicano literature, and Spanish literature. She has been with the New Mexico Historical Records Advisory Board since March of 2001. Tom Chavarria is the Agency Analysis Bureau Chief. The Bureau is part of the Records Management Division. He has been with the State Records Center and Archives for two years. Since completing his degree at California State University at Sacramento. Tom has worked with various organizations, including the Santa Fe Community College. Jose Villegas, is an Archivist with the State Records Center and Archives. He joined the agency in 1995, and his specialty areas are land and water issues, and the historic film collection. Melissa Salazar is an also an Archivist with the Archives and Historical Services Division. She has been with the agency for four years, two of which have been with the Archives and Historical Services Division. John Martinez, a native of Salt Lake City, earned his BA, Magna Cum Laude, in History with a minor in Spanish from Brigham Young University. After graduation, he attended the University of Texas at Austin and earned an MA degree in United States History with a focus on the Southwest. Paula Flores, is the Administrative Assistant for
the State Records Center Archives and the New Mexico Historical
Records Advisory Board. She has been with the agency for three years
and is also a contributing writer for the Santa Fe New Mexican,
and compiles the Quipu. |
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AND THE BEAT GOES ON… By Erica Garcia.
For the New Mexico Historical Records Advisory Board grant program there is a period of the year, roughly between February 1st and March 31st, when the Board, grantees, and the public witness a passing of the torch from one grant period to the next. My first months with the New Mexico Historical Advisory Board (NMHRAB) have been spent participating in the closure of the grants awarded in 2000, and beginning the grant period for the 2001 projects. These last few weeks have been, to say the least, quite exciting. I am privileged to have joined this agency during this time frame. Anyone who has ever participated in a grant project understands the emotional roller coaster involved in the expectation of an acceptance letter, the loss of appetite when meeting the deadline for final reports, and the magical, uplifting sensation of a triumphant project completed. The success of the 2000 grants has, in many cases, surpassed the expectations of the proposed projects submitted and accepted by the NMHRAB last year. Some of the participants are becoming veterans of the grant program and have made substantial commitments to their historical records collections. The Citizen’s Committee for Historic Preservation in Las Vegas is one of those participants. The completion of its 2000 grant for digital preservation and organization of its photographic collection will conclude its second grant cycle with a highly successful project. The Committee projected the digitization of 2,500 photographic images and went beyond that goal by completing 2,700. In the 2001 grant cycle, the New Mexico Jewish Historical Society acquired its second grant from the NMHRAB. The Society’s first grant, awarded in 2000, focused on enhancing access to its historical documents. Its second grant will further progress in re-housing additions to the Society’s collection. The success of the first grant, and the potential of the 2001 grant, promote New Mexico Jewish history and amplify New Mexico’s diversity. The Lincoln County Historical Society (LCHS) is also participating in a second grant cycle with the NMHRAB. Its first project involved cataloging and digitizing its photographic collection, which spans the years 1890 through 1980. Now the Society’s sights are set on a separate project, the maintenance and preservation of oral histories dating from 1950 to 1999 and under the guardianship of the LCHS. Both of these projects increase the public’s awareness of the history of New Mexico and of Lincoln County. First-time 2000 grants that demonstrated particular success include the Hispanic Genealogical Research Center which microfilmed 500 pages beyond the expected 4,824 pages of the Sacramental Records of the Catholic Diocese of Gallup. The Regents of the University of New Mexico converted 29 reels of Edwin Berry historical oral histories and alabados to compact disk and made them available at the University’s Zimmerman Library and Valencia Campus Library. In the interest of maintaining as much of the state’s history as possible, Luna County’s project included microfilming 13 years of County Treasurer records. The State Records and Archives achieved its goal to re-house 5,681 images from the New Mexico Department of Tourism Photograph Collection dating from 1937 to 1961. That project provides a mirror in which one can see how New Mexico decided to portray itself to those outside of the state. Understandably, it is impossible to give these completed projects, and others not mentioned here, justice. It is just as difficult to summarize the potential and importance of each of the 2001 grant projects that are now underway. The grant application and project evolution is a meticulous and determination-filled process. The grantees over the past three years have defined and fortified their connection to their communities, and the past, through their projects. The participants of the NMHRAB grant program have demonstrated their commitment to, as well as their emotional and financial investment in, preserving and making available to the public New Mexico’s profound and rich history. It is this shared history that acts as the rhythmic meter to our past and present cultures and provides an unyielding sense of identity to the citizens of New Mexico. Questions about the NMHRAB grants, or the grant program itself, can be directed to Erica L García, Grant Administrator, at (505) 476-7936, or by e-mail at egarcia@rain.state.nm.us. SEARCHING FOR A RECORDS MANAGEMENT By Tom Chavarria
The Records Management Division of the Commission of Public Records—State Records Center and Archives is in the process of acquiring a records management application to replace the existing software. Currently the record centers in both Santa Fe and Albuquerque are using a legacy, 16-bit application that was originally created to run in a DOS environment. Although the application still has some limited functionality left in its life cycle, the needs of the records centers in both Albuquerque and Santa Fe require functions that the current application is unable to provide. In the decision to acquire a records management application, one thought was to find out what record centers in other states were using. Using a contact list from the National Association of Government Archives and Records (NAGARA), a survey was e-mailed to 33 state record centers, archives, and libraries. This survey was sent to such a wide variety of state entities because each state is different, organizationally, in where its record center is placed. The response to the survey was fairly good, of the 33 surveys, 14 were returned. The results from an analysis of the responses will provide a general idea about what other states are facing in the management of their record holdings. Although the survey was designed to gather general information, some knowledge of computer terms was assumed in order to answer some questions related to operating systems and applications. To this end, the range of technical expertise from the respondents ranged from basic to intermediate. A preliminary review of the responses indicates that more than half of the state agencies are using Windows 9X or NT as their operating systems. Only one respondent indicated that its operating system was Unix. The majority of the respondents who replied that their operating system was Windows 9X also stated they were using Access as their records management application. One question that was not asked concerns the US Department of Defense (DoD) 5015.2-STD, which is a standard developed by the DOD for records management applications that can handle traditional as well as electronic records. The survey did not query respondents on whether or not this standard will have any influence on their record center operations as far as the eventual replacement of their records management application is concerned. The challenge faced by the New Mexico State Records Center and Archives is acquiring a records management application that can meet current needs as well as accommodate future requirements. The record centers are dynamic operations, with items coming in for storage, items being checked out temporarily or permanently, and items becoming eligible for disposition. The need then is for a singular application to track varying levels of items from a box to a file in multiple locations; calculate retention periods; process disposition runs; accept real time modifications to multiple databases; and provide access to a spectrum of users over a wide geographic area. Although finding the right application is not a unique challenge to New Mexico, it is one that more states will face in the upcoming years as records and information management becomes more of an issue and record center operations are expanded. THE OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY By Jose Villegas
The records of the Office of the New Mexico Attorney General Collection is the largest public collection within the State Archives. A major effort was initiated by the Archives to process, inventory, and preserve these unique documents. One of the primary objectives was to create a finding aid that would assist researchers in locating historical documents. The collection consists of over 1200 cubic feet of records created by the New Mexico Attorney General and the New Mexico Solicitor General and spans the dates 1892 to 1995. The hundreds of containers include case files, administrative correspondence, annual reports, legal opinions, letterpress copybooks, financial documents, extraditions, and various other legal documents. Materials in the collection concern both general and specific issues, such as civil rights and consumer protection. The Attorney General Records have remained largely unexcavated and provide an excellent source of primary material for researchers. An example of the richness of these records is evident in the following excerpt from a 1912 opinion. This opinion concerns the question of the disqualification, based on gender, of Mrs. Lola G. Armijo for the position of librarian
These records contain a wealth of information that researchers can use to enhance their understanding of New Mexico’s government and people. By the end of 2001, a complete version of the finding aid will be available for these records. BILLY THE KID PACKETS AVAILABLE By Melissa T. Salazar
As promised, a Billy the Kid packet was prepared and is available through the Archives and Historical Services Division. The packet includes 118 pages of the most requested documents relating to William H. Bonney, alias Billy the Kid. Below is a list of the records included in the packet. • Territory of New Mexico vs. William Bonney, alias “Kid,” alias William Antrim, Doña Ana County Criminal Case Nos. 531 and 532 (1878). • Reward for the arrest of Billy the Kid, December 3, 1880. TANM, Roll 21, Frame 565. • Lew
Wallace authorization of $500 reward for the capture of William
Bonney, • Death warrant for Billy the Kid, Lincoln County, April 30, 1881. TANM, Roll 21, Frame 581 and 582; • Copies of death warrant, Sheriff’s certificate of Billy the Kid’s escape, and the jury’s verdict verifying the death of Billy the Kid. Lincoln County Records, Box 2, Folder 132. • Attorney General’s opinion regarding the reward payment due Pat Garrett for the death/capture of Billy the Kid, July 21, 1881. TANM, Roll 21, Frame 595. • Sheriff’s request for payment for transporting Billy the Kid from Mesilla to Lincoln, 1881. TANM, Roll 47, Frame 335. • Letter from Governor Sheldon to legislature approving the payment of reward to Pat Garrett for the death of Billy the Kid, February 14, 1882. TANM, Roll 5, Frame 765; Roll 6, Frame 127; NM Law 1882, page 191. • Certificate
by Col. Pennypacker that witnesses in Lincoln County War are not
available The total cost of the packet is $36.56, which includes shipping and handling. To obtain a copy, you may contact the Archives and Historical Services Division at (505) 476-7908. NEW STATE HISTORIAN TO BEGIN ON JUNE 4, 2001 By Paula Flores
The New Mexico Commission of Public Records—State Records Center and Archives is proud to welcome Mr. Estevan Real-Galvez to the agency as the new State Historian. He conducted his undergraduate work at the University of California at Berkley, and completed the degree program through the Department of English, Literature and Ethnic Studies in December of 1991. Mr. Real-Galvez furthered his education by attaining a Masters Degree in American Cultures with emphasis in History, Anthropology, and Literature from the University of Michigan in 1995, through which he advanced as a candidate for the Ph.D program in American Cultures in June of 1997, with completion in May of 2001. His dissertation was titled “Identifying Captivity and Capturing Identity: Contested Natives of Indian Servitude in New Mexican/Colorado Households.” Real-Galvez’ research interests are related to American Indian Studies, Chicano Studies, 19th Century New Mexico and Colorado, History of the American West, Race, Nation and Empire, Gender Studies, History of Writing Violence, and Violence of Writing History. Real-Galvez, a native of Questa, New Mexico, is looking forward to conducting his own research on the above mentioned issues. “I am very anxious and excited about taking on the position,” stated Real-Galvez. He added that he decided to take the State Historian position in lieu of other academic positions being offered to him. “The decision was difficult but exciting,” he added. Real-Galvez also noted that he is looking forward to offering the New Mexico History Class. “I am not too familiar with how the course was structured in the past but would like to revise it by conducting a needs assessment on whom the agency is targeting. I would like to encourage people to re-think how they look at history and understand that how important the perspective of the people is,” Mainly, he wants to bring a critical edge to how New Mexicans think about the state’s history. The agency is very excited and welcomes him on board.
NMAC TRAINING AVAILABLE By John H. Martinez
According to State law, “No rule shall be valid or enforceable until it is filed with the records center and published in the New Mexico Register” (Section 14-4-5 NMSA 1978). In compliance with this statute, the Commission of Public Records accepts properly filed rules from executive branch agencies and publishes them twice a month in the New Mexico Register. As the analysts in the State Rules Division review the materials for the New Mexico Register, they notice that many who are involved in the rule promulgation process have questions about the proper filing of rules. Some are confused about the necessary steps in the rule filing process, others do not understand the proper formatting of the text, and a few do not even know where to begin. To help all of these people, the Commission of Public Records provides training on the rule-formatting and filing processes each month, usually, the last Tuesday of the month. The one-day course addresses the proper way to file material with the Commission of Public Records so that new rules will appear in the New Mexico Register and be compiled in the New Mexico Administrative Code (NMAC). The correct NMAC format is discussed in detail, and multiple examples are given. There is no charge for the NMAC training, so all who are involved in the rule-making process are encouraged to attend. Each participant receives a manual that provides instructions on how to format and file rules. To obtain more information on the class or to register, contact Paula Flores at (505) 476-7902, by e-mail at pflores@rain.state.nm.us, or by mail at New Mexico State Records Center and Archives, 1205 Camino Carlos Rey, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87505.
UP-COMING TRAINING OFFERED By Paula Flores
For the past three years, the New Mexico Commission of Public Records has offered training in records, information, and archival management (RIAM). The training program was initially created through a grant that the New Mexico Historical Records Advisory Board received from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission. Upon completion of the grant, it was decided that the training program would continue through the Commission itself, by offering the courses for a nominal fee. For fiscal year 2002 (July of 2001 through June of 2002), a set schedule has been created and distributed. Courses are aimed toward expanding RIAM knowledge throughout local governmental entities, historical records repositories, and State agencies. The following courses will be available through October, 2001. • Preserving Family History: July 27, 2001 — Albuquerque, New Mexico, $25.00. Trainer Susan M. Barger, Preservation Expert. • Basic Records Management: September 14, 2001 — Socorro, New Mexico, $25.00. Trainer: Donald L. Padilla, New Mexico State Records Center and Archives (NMSRCA). • Arrangement and Description: October 15, 2001 — Santa Fe, New Mexico, $25.00. Trainers: Melissa Salazar and Valerie Nye, NMSRCA. • Filing Systems: October 16, 2001 — Santa Fe, New Mexico, $25.00. Trainer: Donald L. Padilla, NMSRCA . • Basic Genealogy Research: November 9, 2001— Santa Fe, New Mexico, $25.00. Trainers: Melissa Salazar and Valerie Nye,NMSRCA. • Appraisal of Records: November 26, 2001— Socorro, New Mexico, $25.00. Trainer: Donald L. Padilla, NMSRCA. • Planning
and Implementation for Digitizing Records: December 3-4, 2001-
• Finding Aids: February 11, 2002 — Albuquerque, New Mexico, $25.00. Trainer: Daphne Arnaiz-DeLeon, NMSRCA. • Basic Records Management: March 15, 2002 — Albuquerque, New Mexico, $25.00. Trainer: Donald L. Padilla, NMSRCA. • Electronic Records: April 25-26, 2002 — Santa Fe, New Mexico, $40.00. Trainer: Contractor/Panel. For more information on any of the courses offered by the Commission, or to obtain a copy of the training schedule, please call Paula Flores at 476-7902, or contact her by e-mail at pflores@rain.state.nm.us. QUIPU NEWSLETTER AVAILABLE ON-LINE By Paula Flores
The quarterly issues of the Quipu newsletters have been available on-line at the Commission of Public Records web site for well over a year now. In an on-going effort to conserve resources, the agency is encouraging those readers who have Internet access to view the newsletter on-line. The newsletter is available at www.state.nm.us/cpr. If you prefer to view the newsletter on-line and wish to be removed from our mailing list, please complete the form below and return it to the Commission of Public Records, to the attention of Paula Flores, 1205 Camino Carlos Rey, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87505. ********************************** I NO LONGER WISH TO RECEIVE A PAPER COPY OF THE QUIPU NEWSLETTER. Name: ______________________ Address: _____________________ City: ________________________ State:______________Zip:_______
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Organization of Northern
New Mexico By Sandra Jaramillo,
A genealogical group, affiliated with the New Mexico Hispanic Genealogical Society, has been formed. Memberships are being solicited from the North Central counties of Santa Fe, Los Alamos, Rio Arriba, Taos, San Miguel, Mora, and Colfax counties. If you are interested in joining, please submit your name and address below. Meetings are held once a month in Santa Fe. For more information, please contact Clara Gonzales at (505) 471– 3956.
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