This blog post was written by Dowdy Summer Intern Katherine Beall, a master’s student in the Museum Studies Department.
This summer, I had the incredible opportunity to be the Dowdy Intern at the Baylor Collections of Political Materials at the W. R. Poage Library. This was an enriching experience that taught me so much about archives. I was given three projects that I worked on throughout the summer.
iEngage station leaders: Katherine Beall, Jeff Pirtle, Emma Fenske, Yeshi Lhamo, Tommy DeShong, Amanda Fisher, Heather Woycheshin, Sylvia Hernandez
My primary project was to create two stations for iEngage, a summer day camp for fifth through ninth graders that teaches civic action and political participation. I began by meeting with Dr. Karon LeCompte, an Education professor and the director of iEngage, to discuss her vision for the stations. She wanted to incorporate historic maps into the stations. With guidance from archivists Thomas DeShong and Amanda Fisher, I designed two stations: a scavenger hunt and a comparison of maps. I then visited The Texas Collection to view maps from their holdings to use for the stations. For each map I chose two to three historical topics to discuss based on the locations represented. Using archival materials from the Poage Library, I chose six supplemental resources from Representative W. R. Poage’s papers that related to the map topics and made reproductions of each. For both stations, I created a detailed lesson plan containing instructions and historical background information about each topic. I worked to get the maps digitized and large reproductions made so we could use them for the stations. I met with the seven other station leaders, all volunteers from The Texas Collection and Poage Library, to provide orientation and organized the logistics and supplies.
Katherine setting up the maps in the rooms before iEngage starts.
The first station was a scavenger hunt that required students to find specific locations on two Sanborn maps. These maps were ideal candidates for a scavenger hunt because they are easy to read and utilize a key to give details on each building. These maps focused on A. J. Moore High School, the extent of urban renewal, Waco High School, and the McLennan County Courthouse.
The second station compared three different maps of Waco to teach the students how Waco has changed over the years. The first map was from 1934, the second map was from 1964, and the third map was Google Maps to show present-day Waco. The topics we focused on were the Waco Tornado, Bridge Street, Lake Waco, the Interurban Railway, and I-35.
While leading her iEngage station, Katherine shows her students photos of what is now at the location of A. J. Moore High School.
On the day of iEngage, I led the two stations twice with W. R. Poage Library Director Jeff Pirtle in the reading room. The stations succeeded in teaching students how to read a map and some background into local Waco history while creating an enjoyable event.
My second project was numbering the boxes and folders in the Representative Jack Hightower papers. For each box, I installed a new label and numbered all the folders in the box. I updated the folder listing with the box and folder numbers as I progressed.
My third project was processing the L. N. “Nick” Stewart papers. I conducted research on Nick Stewart, a former employee of the General Services Administration, and took notes for the finding aid’s biographical section. By reviewing the materials and past inventories beforehand, I familiarized myself with the collection. I created a preliminary processing plan to decide how to best arrange the collection, proposing six different series. I processed a variety of materials including correspondence, books, newspapers, awards, and photographs.
Katherine processes materials in the L. N. “Nick” Stewart papers.
This internship at the Poage Library was the first opportunity I had to work in an archive, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It allowed me to learn about archives through hands-on work. I learned about Waco history, educational programs, collections processing, archival arrangement, preservation, and the role of archivists. I am very thankful for the support and guidance of everyone at the Poage during my internship. This was an invaluable experience for which I am grateful, and it will benefit me throughout the rest of my education and in my future career.
Katherine, Tommy, and Amanda standing with the L. N. “Nick” Stewart papers.