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 |
|
October 2000
Volume
5.3
|
|---|
In this issue:
|
|
New Mexico Archives Week By Sandra Jaramillo
In concert with National Archives Week, Governor Gary
Johnson has signed a proclamation designating the week of October
9th as New Mexico Archives Week. Archival repositories throughout
New Mexico are instrumental in preserving New Mexico’s documentary
history. Please help us promote the appreciation and preservation
of historical materials through out the State by celebrating New
Mexico Archives Week. Archives Week Activities for the State Records
Center and Archives include: Oct. 15: Lecture “Nuestras Mujeres: Wondrous Women of 1743-1767 New Mexico,” by Dr. Isabelle Medina Sandoval, Assistant Professor of Education at the College of Santa Fe. 1PM-2PM, Room 2027, State Archives and Records Center 1209 Camino Carlos Rey, Santa Fe, NM.
Adjutant General Muster Roll Collection By Kermit R. Hill
In the fall of 1998, as a volunteer, I began examining and re-organizing the Adjutant General Muster Roll Collection in an effort to make the collection better known and more available to all researchers. These records, incomplete as old records often are, were used in the 1890-1930 period to determine pension claims from the Civil and Indian Wars. The arrangement and description of the Muster Roll Collection was completed in August of 2000. I attempted to rationalize the collection both historically and in military terms. The military forces of the Territory of New Mexico were known as the Territorial Militia in accordance with the National Militia Act of 1792. In the period 1847 to 1898 confusion and political conflict occurred regularly over the distinction between militia and volunteers. Volunteers enlisted for longer terms during specific emergencies and were subject to Federal regulation and control. The militias were subject to conscription briefly for state or territorial duty only. In 1897 a national reform movement led to creation of the National Guard as an organized state force subject to call up by the United States government. The Spanish-American War erupted as this reform was developing, hence the term volunteers was still used. A prime example of this usage was the 1st U.S. Volunteer Cavalry, containing four troops of New Mexicans and better known as the RoughRiders. In 1903 the Dick Act established the National Guard as the Organized Militia of the respective states, guided by a federal National Guard Bureau. With statehood in 1912, the New Mexico State Constitution stated that all able-bodied male citizens constitute the militia of New Mexico and that the organized militia shall be called the National Guard. The Militia and Guard were subject to call by the governor in his capacity as commander–in-chief during periods of civil disturbance, outlaw activity, invasion of the territory/state or hostile Indian activity. The Militia and National Guard acted in concert with US Volunteer and regular Army forces stationed in New Mexico. The Adjutant General, appointed by the Governor, administered the Territorial Militia and National Guard, and, after 1912, the State forces. Militia muster rolls for the years 1847-1897, preceding the establishment of the National Guard, have a complicated history. Muster rolls concerning the period from the suppression of the Taos revolt in 1847 through the Civil War and Navajo Campaign of 1864-1865 were not in the custody of the Adjutant General until the 1890s. Muster rolls were recovered from various merchants and other interested persons who had acquired them when purchasing Territorial warrants for indebtedness. They were used from 1890 to the 1930’s for establishing pension claims, and therefore letters regarding this purpose will be found scattered among the muster rolls. In the 1890’s a number was placed on each roll or document without any discernible order. A total of 686 items were so numbered. These records, often deteriorating badly, were stored without further care in Adjutant General’s Office until 1925 when Governor Arthur T. Hannett ordered them transferred to the custody of the Historical Society of New Mexico in the Museum of New Mexico. Muster rolls and other military documents concerning militia activities in the 1880s, including the Apache Campaign of 1885-1886, were transferred. Lansing B. Bloom, assistant director of the Museum and secretary of the Historical Society, and Ralph Emerson Twitchell, president of the Historical Society, examined the records and assigned a different numbering system to these records, again without discernible order. Bloom and Twitchell both served in the New Mexico National Guard. With the establishment of the State Records Center and Archives in 1960 the muster rolls were transferred into the custody of the new agency. Since that date the Adjutant General’s Office has also transferred the remaining territorial military documents, including the company records of the National Guard up to 1917, to the State Records Center and Archives. The 1847-1860 and 1869-1897 muster rolls are available on microfilm as part of the Microfilm Edition of the Territorial Archives of New Mexico (TANM). The collection consists of over 20 linear feet
arranged and described in the following order: Knowledge Management By Donald Padilla
Just when records and information managers felt safe and secure in their knowledge of records and information management, a new issue or aspect has reared its ugly head. That issue is – knowledge management. The term knowledge management (KM) is used to describe the process of locating, organizing, transferring, and using information. Most examples of knowledge management are in fact only examples of information retrieval. However, knowledge and information are not the same thing. Information is a definable element or commodity that can be obtained in vast quantities and from various sources. When that information is improved through interpretation, analysis, and context its value is enhanced and as a concept can become knowledge. Today's technology has resulted in our personal lives as well as our work lives being inundated with enormous amounts of information from ever increasing sources - Internet, intranets, video-conferencing, radio, television, publications, etc. This constant swelling of information needs to be organized, maintained and disseminated. Desired information needs to be found quickly, completely and accurately. We exist in an information society where information has become an extremely valuable commodity held by government and business alike. Survival, growth and success require that information be used in the most beneficial way, by converting it into knowledge. There are two kinds of knowledge – tacit and explicit. Tacit knowledge is intangible for it is what is in a person’s head. Generally we are unaware of what we actually know for we store so many unconnected bits and pieces of information, much like the data contained in a database or information system. To be of any benefit to others, we must articulate to transform and get that information out into a usable form - knowledge. Corporate knowledge is a term that is often used to describe the unrecorded knowledge stored solely in the minds of staff employees, usually long term or retiring staff. When those employees leave government or the corporation, their corporate knowledge (tacit knowledge) leaves with them. Explicit knowledge is articulated knowledge. Explicit knowledge can be seen, read, and used. Information is replicable; however, its applicability, credibility, and validity are uncertain. Knowledge is more difficult to replicate because the authentication process depends on certain skills and experiences that are often in short supply or unavailable. Knowledge management is the latest in a series of challenges to the management of records and information management. Before knowledge management there were the formidable tasks of confronting the emergence of new formats in microphotography and the emergence of computer-based records systems. Although the challenges and problems created by both microphotography and computer-based records systems have not been completely or satisfactorily resolved, we have come to understand the issues and problems surrounding them. Although there is nothing new in the concept of “knowledge”, we must learn how to differentiate between information and knowledge. We must also learn or find methods of recording and preserving it. New Mexico Historical
Records By Lisa Johnston
What do you do when you have a good program and need to get the word out? You go where the audience is! This is exactly what Board members Lisa Johnston and Elvis Fleming did recently when they became exhibitors at the New Mexico Municipal League’s Annual Conference in Carlsbad New Mexico. The conference was held August 30 through September 1, 2000 at the Pecos River Village Conference Center and over 600 Council members, Mayors, and other department heads attended. The New Mexico HISTORICAL Records Advisory Board (NMHRAB) exhibit included handouts about the Board and it’s programs, and grant and training activities. Lisa and Elvis also promoted the Directory of Repositories and encouraged all municipalities who were not listed to fill out a survey form. Copies of historic documents (provided by NM State Records and Archives) were displayed to show some of the types of historic documents that have been preserved.
LDS Microfilm
Edition
The State Records Center and Archives (SRCA) is pleased to announce the acquisition of the LDS Microfilm Edition of the Sacramental Records of the Archives of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe (AASF). The SRCA is beholden to the Archdiocese of Santa Fe for granting permission to use these records. This microfilm collection, made by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS), is the second microfilm version of the AASF “POS” series and the SRCA “A” series. The new edition is the complete set of AASF microfilmed sacramental records with some modifications from the earlier version. The most noticeable change is that each roll contains the records for only one church. Previously, a roll could contain records from many churches or records from the same church could be found on several different rolls. In the LDS version, the records from the same church are grouped together, making it easier to find records. Although the new version duplicates much of the older microfilm, on the whole, it has a clearer resolution than the old and is easier to read. Over the coming weeks, SRCA staff will prepare the 203 rolls of microfilm in the collection for public use. A finding aid is being created to facilitate more effective use of the microfilm. These records will be a great asset for the many genealogists who use the SRCA to research their New Mexico ancestors. The archives will continue to make the first edition available to researchers for use.
At its regular meeting on September 11, 2000, the New Mexico Historical Records Advisory Board (NMHRAB) adopted a new set of funding priorities for its New Mexico Historical Records Grant Program that it believes will result in funding for projects that will help it in meeting its strategic objectives. The funding priorities are listed below in priority order. Preservation of New Mexico’s Historical Records
2. Assessment/survey of records that are in public and private repositories that results in developing or enhancing a repository’s records/archival management program. 3. Development of tribal records management and archival programs. 4. Identification and mitigation of at-risk historical records in public and private repositories (activities may include preservation and conservation processes needed to stabilize the media on which records are captured in accordance with an approved conservation plan). 5. Preservation activities that include, but are not limited to, reformatting (microfilm/copying to permanent media, etc.), and re-housing. Meeting the Public Demand for Access to Historical
Records Documenting and Illuminating New Mexico’s History 8. Programs that promote New Mexico’s history through its historical records with activities that include exhibits, conferences, papers, and documentaries. In addition to adopting the funding priorities, the Board made two changes to its guidelines for the grant program. The first modification requires that recipients of previous grants applying in the next cycle be in compliance with grant requirements at the time that they apply. The second modification provides an exception to the requirement for open public access to records for tribal organizations applying for grants. The objective of this modification is to encourage tribal organizations to apply for grant funds in hopes of establishing or enhancing the records and archival programs in this under-represented community of historical record repositories. Revised grant application packages with the modified guidelines and priorities will be available for distribution by mid-October. Formal grant solicitation begins November 1 with a submission deadline of February 1. For further information contact the grant’s administrator, JoAnne Jager at (505) 476-7936 or visit our web site at http://www.state.nm.us/cpr.
Another Grant Cycle Begins By Jo Anne Jager
On November 1 the third annual New Mexico Historical Records Grants Program begins with a call for proposals for projects that preserve, make accessible, or demonstrate the significance of original records documenting New Mexico’s history. Application forms and guidelines will be available on request and on the Commission of Public Records web page as early as October. The grant application package will include a current list of available archives and records management consultants and the tools used in administering the three-stage screening process. Proposals are invited from governmental organizations (state and local government offices, agencies and institutions, tribal government offices, quasi-government agencies such as irrigation districts); non-profit organizations that have records repositories or collections of manuscripts; and qualified individuals consulting with any of the eligible entities. Grants are awarded in amounts ranging from $500 to $8,500. There is a total of $50,000 available for the 2001 round. Prospective applicants are invited to attend a daylong session detailing both the grant application process and the post-award expectations of a funded project and its outcomes. The step-by-step “how-to” sessions will be given on Wednesdays from 9:30 to 4:00, with a break for lunch. October 18 - Mesa Technical College, Tucumcari October 25 – Sierra County Economic Development Bldg., Truth or Consequences November 1 – NM Library, Archives and Records Center, Santa Fe. First Historical
Records Grants Reach By Jo Anne Jager
Sixteen successful applicants in the 1999 round of the Historical Records Grants Program completed projects this past spring that ranged from sponsoring a training program to preparing archives for electronic access. Training programs were funded for the New Mexico Preservation Alliance, which sponsored four sessions where 12 volunteers received training in oral history gathering as part of a larger plan. Archives were catalogued for electronic access by the UNM Health Services Center, where eight major collection areas of the Archives were re-cataloged in machine-readable format and supplied with finding aids for posting on the center’s web page. The Rio Grande Collections at NMSU edited finding aids for 26 collections on agricultural history, in preparation for their electronic encoding for Internet access. Other types of projects funded by the Board included assessment studies or surveys. Two were completed by Lincoln County and by Tularosa Basin historical societies, both conducted for them by Austin Hoover, of NMSU. The former encompassed two other repositories besides the Society: the Lincoln County Clerk’s Office and the Hubbard Museum of the American West, and produced a comprehensive report of findings and recommendations for improving archives and manuscripts programs in the county. The latter group formulated a collection policy that was adopted, and learned how to distinguish the significance of materials to be considered. Also, the Sandoval County Historical Society engaged a consultant on an archival storage architectural survey and a records management plan, in preparation for a major facility improvement. Reformatting and rehousing of unique and significant historical records were the objectives of several repositories. Santa Cruz Irrigation District microfilmed their water user records of 1938 to 1995, resulting in 66 rolls of film, and Silver City Museum Society had 33 collections microfilmed and digitized, including some early Grant County records as well as Silver City historical collections. In both cases the projects resulted in greater accessibility to the records when copies of the films were placed in public reading rooms both locally and at the State Records Center and Archives. Artesia Historical Museum and Art Center undertook the organization and preservation of the municipal records to improve the records storage conditions, and in the process discovered that serious sorting and conservation tasks needed to be done first. Their discoveries led to more effective shelving and cabinets in the storage area, in addition to the conversion to acid-free archival boxes and sleeves, and appropriate labeling. One of the largest rehousing projects came in the aftermath of a very significant microfilming project. Santa Fe County Clerk’s Office applied for and received funds directly from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission to microfilm the deed books from 1846 to 1946. Clerk Rebecca Bustamante then requested funding from NMHRGP for the materials and supplies needed to re-box the filmed original books that were in poor condition. Her staff received the training in custom box-making at SRCA, and succeeded in rehousing 34 volumes which, along with the remainder, were then transferred to the State Archives for permanent preservation. Photographic collections received attention at Silver City Museum, at the Hispanic Cultural Center, at the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture, and at the Citizens’ Committee for Historic Preservation (Las Vegas). While preserving the images is the chief concern of the repositories, the popular access method of digitizing or other reformatting was also undertaken by most of them. While the more popular format for access and retrieval currently is the digital formats, microfilm is preferred for long-term retention of data. The recommended strategy is to microfilm materials first, and then, if desired, digitize the text and/or images from the film and transfer it to compact discs. Some repositories create a visual database using software that will create the necessary indexing of the collection. At Silver City, 2,000 images were scanned, written to CD and then printed. At the Hispanic Cultural Center in Albuquerque, 680 images were scanned, microfilmed, and re-housed. Then the microfilm was digitized and reformatted into CD and video. The Museum of Indian Arts and Culture in Santa Fe was also able to complete its database of archaeology and anthropology photographs, inventorying and classifying 2,242 images, and adding 3,166 more. Of these, 250 were selected for digitizing on the basis of condition or size. CCHP of Las Vegas reformatted to CD and rehoused in archival containers nearly 2,000 images, and in the process was able to locate 20 missing photos and many more missing negatives, and to correlate their collection with the one at Donnelly Library, NMHU. Meanwhile, Donnelly Library addressed a collection of manuscripts as a unique artificial collection that provided access to certain federal documents that repose in various parts of the National Archive. The Fort Union papers at Donnelly were copied onto archival bond paper and cataloged as a manuscript collection. The finding aid that resulted preserves the integrity of the collection while also making an effective reference tool for using the military records that document the history of an important landmark. The maps treated in the Torrance County Assessor’s Office received conservation treatment of another kind. Land grant maps, aerial photos, and other mapping images are frequently used for reference and research. Many of them had been copied, to preserve the originals. In their project, the Assessor’s Office cataloged 42 of them, cleaned and repaired the originals, encapsulated 19 and rehoused 19 others, and made copies for public use where none had existed. Reports from every project manager tell of the enthusiasm and success of participants, as well as of the problems they encountered, and some disappointments. Most applicants are glad they made the effort to undertake a historical records project, saying that they gained valuable experience in the process. For the Historical Records Advisory Board, successful archives and records management proposals from across the broad spectrum of repositories in New Mexico means that a variety of successful projects is available for reference. In every case, the proposals were selected for funding on their merits for meeting the Board’s objectives of improving the preservation of and access to historically significant records for documenting New Mexico’s four hundred years of history.
Commission Offers Low Cost Archival and Records Management Training By Elaine Olah From March 1999 through November 2000 the New Mexico Historical Records Advisory Board (NMHRAB) provided an archival and records management training program in conjunction with the Commission of Public Records through grant funds obtained from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission. The training was offered to repositories throughout New Mexico at no cost to the participant. The last of the training funded under this program will be offered on October 5 and 6 with a workshop on Basic Records Management offered in Alamogordo and November 6 with a workshop on Automating Finding Aids in Santa Fe. While response to the training has been very positive, the NMHRAB no longer has grant funds to continue the training program. Archival and records management workshops will now be offered to state agencies and other record repositories throughout New Mexico through the Commission of Public Records Archives and Records Management Training Program. Nominal registration fees charged for each workshop will support this program. Trainers, staff of the Commission supplemented by outside trainers, will provide basic and advanced training in various archives or records management principles. Registration fees will vary; workshops fees are set at $25 for a one day session; $40 for a one and one-half day session; and $50 for a two-day session. TRAINING SCHEDULE • October 16, 2000 IMPLEMENTING AN ARCHIVAL PRESERVATION PROGRAM – Las Cruces, NM - $25.00 • November
13, 2000 COLLECTION SURVEY AND DEVELOPMENT – • January
25 – 26, 2001 BASIC RECORDS MANAGEMENT – Albuquerque/Bernalillo
County Special Collections Library, • February 19, 2001 NEW MEXICO MICROPHOTOGRAPHY PROJECT PLANNING – Socorro Municipal Building, Socorro, NM - $25.00 • March
5, 2001 APPRAISAL OF RECORDS – Luna Vocational Technical
• March
30, 2001 ARRANGEMENT AND DESCRIPTION – NM Library,
• April
23 – 24, 2001 BASIC ELECTRONIC RECORDS MANAGEMENT
– • May
14, 2001 DIGITIZING PHOTO COLLECTIONS – NM Library,
Archives, • June
11 – 12, 2001 DISASTER PREPAREDNESS – Sagebrush Inn
, Purchase orders will be accepted for registration fees, otherwise, please send in registration fees by check or money order payable to Commission of Public Records. Mail purchase orders or payments to Commission of Public Records, 1205 Camino Carlos Rey, Santa Fe, NM 87505. For more information about this and other programs offered by the Commission of Public Records and the New Mexico Historical Records Advisory Board, or to register on-line, visit our web site at www.state.nm.us/CPR Please contact Paula Flores by e-mail at pflores@rain.state.nm.us or by phone at (505) 476-7902 if you need any assistance.
Free Training By Paula Flores
The New Mexico Commission of Public Records is offering free training to State Agencies, County and Municipal Governments, and local repositories. To register for any of the training sessions listed, or for more information, please contact Paula Flores at 476-7902, or by e-mail at pflores@rain.state.nm.us. Training Schedule • October 12 – 13, 2000 – BASIC RECORDS MANAGEMENT – NMSRCA, NMSU Campus, Alamogordo, NM. • October 20, 2000 – PHOTOGRAPH PRESERVATION WORKSHOP – NMSU Campus Library, Las Cruces, NM. • November 6, 2000 – AUTOMATING FINDING AIDES – NM State Library, Archives and Records Center, Santa Fe, NM. • October 31, 2000 – NEW MEXICO ADMINISTRATIVE CODE TRAINING – New Mexico Real Estate Commission, Albuquerque, NM. • November 28, 2000 and December 26, 2000 – NEW MEXICO ADMINISTRATIVE CODE TRAINING – New Mexico State Library, Archives and Records Center, Santa Fe, NM. • October 18, 2000 and December 13, 2000 – RECORDS AND INFORMATION MANAGEMENT TRAINING – New Mexico State Library, Archives and Records Center, Santa Fe, NM.
STATE RECORDS CENTER AND
NOVEMBER 11TH: Dr. David E. Stuart, “Anasazi America”, Lecture and Book Signing. 1:00 P.M. Room 2027, at the New Mexico State Library, Archives and Records Center. 1209 Camino Carlos Rey, Santa Fe, New Mexico. For more information, contact Robert Torrez at 476-7955.
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.
|
