Conclusion

In August 2012 I stepped onto the road to my future. I began my first two courses in the Master of Archives and Records Administration online program offered by San José State University’s School of Information. Now in April 2016 I am writing this conclusion and I think of all the conversations I have had with my cohorts. I will miss the discussions and awesome support of all the staff and my peers as I continue my journey preserving and making history available to future researchers. I will carry with me knowledge of information preservation including risk assessment, information governance, grant writing, and the importance of respect des fonds.

My greatest strength is perseverance. I also am wired to organize that which is around me and have little issue with the time-consuming nature of our field. I know the importance of having a system in place that provides access to information in a timely manner. Knowing that I will not be the only one caring for a collection, I plan for those I work with and for those who will come after me by the utilization of the best practices for archives and records administration.

My last two projects with the Yolo County Archives show my ability to take on large projects and see them through. My first project was developing a database for the Yolo County Homestead Index which required deciphering script from the mid to late 1800s. The second project was working on creating digital access to a unique collection of obituaries, 3,600 obits, but who is counting.

These projects will enable me to complete that which I am tasked with now–developing a webpage with twelve indexes, 1000 photographs with Dublin core metadata attached and 800 pages of historical documents to be transcribed by those interested in the county’s history. I feel lucky to be leading five competent volunteers–another skill (leadership) I picked up while in the MARA program.