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| Terra Titsworth, archival manager for imaging and preservation, photo courtesy of the Arkansas State Archives |
Q: What’s your
job title, and how long have you worked at the Arkansas State Archives?
A: I am the
archival manager for imaging and preservation and have been with the Arkansas
State Archives for about four years. My job focuses on microfilming
Arkansas newspapers, periodicals and historical records for preservation and
research purposes.
Q: What do you do
on a typical day at Archives?
A: I manage a small staff of three. On a typical
day, I work with historical societies and libraries regarding film orders and
special filming projects. I spend a lot of time filming Arkansas publications,
as well as, processing and duplicating film for our research room, regional
archives and film orders. I am also responsible for the maintenance of our lab
equipment and cameras, all of which are used in the microfilming process. I
perform a multitude of tasks, so you may even see me ironing newspapers to
prepare them for microfilming.
Q: How did you
become interested in Arkansas history or working at the Arkansas State
Archives?
A: Since early childhood, I have been fascinated
by all things old. When I decided to major in history in college, I originally
planned to teach, but I decided preserving the past was what I really wanted to
do.
Q: What’s the
most important or interesting thing you’ve discovered while working at Archives?
Why?
A: I found my grandfather’s genealogical
research in the microfilm vault, which was pretty amazing. A decade’s worth of
his work, dating back to 1583, was neatly preserved on microfilm. It is a
treasure.
Q: Why do you
think the Arkansas State Archives is important for Arkansans?
A: I believe the Arkansas State Archives is
important for Arkansans because we provide access to the past. We are an
educational repository with an enormous variety of material. In the microfilm
department, we have more than 13,000 rolls of newspapers and currently film
about 150 Arkansas publications.
Q: What is the
most rewarding part of your job?
A: The most rewarding part of my job is knowing
that I am preserving Arkansas’s story for many generations to come. The film I
create today can be viewed in 500 years, if treated properly. It’s amazing to
think something I worked on today will be ready and available for researchers
hundreds of years from now.
Q: How do you see
archiving evolving in the future?
A: The drive for
internet access to everything and the move to digital formatting will change a
lot about what we do here. I still think microfilming is the best way to
preserve documents, newspapers, etc. It
only requires light and magnification to view. The accessibility and
authenticity of original documents are concerns I have with the move to digital
archiving. For example, digital records can deteriorate more quickly than
microfilm and can become difficult to retrieve as technology changes.
Q: What do you
wish people knew about Archives?
A: The Arkansas State Archives has been
preserving the history of Arkansas since 1905, making it the third oldest
archives in the nation. We are still actively archiving and preserving
material, but the Archives can’t do it alone. We need donors and outlets like
newspapers to provide print products we can use for microfilming. As more
newspapers move away from print products, it’s possible we, as a society, could
miss out on the preservation of our current history. I wish more people knew
about our services and our efforts to grow participation.
