Time Flies

I can hardly believe that its almost 3 weeks since I arrived in Virginia City. Since arriving I have learned soo much about government documents and records. My weeks are filled with crazy goals, yet somehow I accomplish them. This experience truly is teaching me how to project plan. A most important asset in this procedure to plan well at the start of a project and, of course, be flexible to change and tweak the plan along the way. At the start of my summer here, the archive aka the dungeon I work in, looked very similar to this picture. By the time the picture was taken I had moved around stacks of books.

The books are huge and heavy. I can easily protect myself with them!!! It often makes me wonder how the women from earlier decades could lift them. Nonetheless, I really enjoy working for the Clerk & Recorder's Office and for Kathleen Mumme.

I am working a lot of different projects. Up to right now, I have finished a few and am currently working on others:
1. Taking inventory of various stacks of records ranging in years from the 1860s to 1990s from both Departments of Treasurer and Clerk & Recorder.
2. Ordered new housing for files.
3. Started to assess the conservation work needed to be done on a few damaged books.
4. Going through the black cabinet to determine files the office has to keep according to the Montana Local Government Retention Schedule.
5. Working on Policies and Procedures for the office.
6. Writing a disaster plan.
7. Inventory/Catalog Voter registration books.

I'm at work on going through the files in the black cabinet/cans.

Have the esteem pleasure of living in the first territorial capital building. Constructed in 1866, served as the county courthouse during Virginia City's stint as territorial capital (1865-1875). As Madison County was one of the original nine counties created by the first territorial legislature in 1865.

One of the ledgers