Let’s face it: not everyone is altruistic. Not even those of us who strive to be unselfish can always succeed.
Most of our members share an interest in history, in one subject area or another. Perhaps your interest is genealogy. Or old photographs. Or textiles. Or books. Even old “stuff” like work implements, dishes, toys, etc.
You might ask yourself what you have to gain by being involved with the Fenton. Whatever your interest, there’s something here for you. And if you don’t see it, please ask. We don’t have a large staff, but our paid and volunteer staff are dedicated to helping you find what you want.
It’s a long process, but we’re also working to make our collection more available to members. A prime example is through the use of images. Old photographs can easily be damaged, and should be handled as little as possible. Newspaper-based clippings become brittle with age and often fall apart in our hands. China and glassware can be broken with just one small “oops” moment. The solution: an image of the object.
The image could be a photograph of the delicate object. It could be a scanned image of printed material like clippings or old photos. If you don’t feel computer-savvy, a staff member will assist you.
I’m personally quite excited by a project with which I have only minimal input: the scanning of obituaries from clippings and scrapbooks. Our scan lab director, Rick Roll, has devised a system that protects delicate clippings, but allows researchers to peruse hard copies. Rick’s team affixes the clippings to paper, then the page is scanned, then it is printed. The original is saved in a protective environment, and the copy is made available for general use. Having an electronic copy also affords us the opportunity to index obituaries.
If you’re one who sees the greater good of The Fenton, and you wish to help with some of our projects, please volunteer your time. You’re helping others to find what they are looking for; that should make you feel good about yourself. Someone else may be working on a different project, making it easier for you to find something that interests you. We all help each other.
