‘What is it like to do #book research’ —a historian’s thread about the perils and joys of the archive.
1/
I am in Berlin almost exclusively because of a single document. It exists in only one place: Humboldt U rare books. It has not been digitized. Thus, I took a flight.
1/
I am in Berlin almost exclusively because of a single document. It exists in only one place: Humboldt U rare books. It has not been digitized. Thus, I took a flight.
2/
Arrived at the library today. I’d been warned I just pre-register and have a covid test, bring vaccines. No problem. Brandy rocks up to the check in with her nihilist Matrix black suit and is ready to rock. Like many archives, you are prohibited from being in outside bags.
Arrived at the library today. I’d been warned I just pre-register and have a covid test, bring vaccines. No problem. Brandy rocks up to the check in with her nihilist Matrix black suit and is ready to rock. Like many archives, you are prohibited from being in outside bags.
3/
You usually are assigned a locker. You can bring your phone and PC. Except this library required you to have your own lock. I can buy one on site! Oh. Only with coins. No card or paper cash. I go in search of cash of the coin variety. Done. Lock acquired.
Then it goes wrong.
You usually are assigned a locker. You can bring your phone and PC. Except this library required you to have your own lock. I can buy one on site! Oh. Only with coins. No card or paper cash. I go in search of cash of the coin variety. Done. Lock acquired.
Then it goes wrong.
4/
I head up to the 6th floor—took the stairs. Speak with the rare books librarian on shift; ah yes! We are expecting you. Please give me your member card. I provide my online registration. That, however, is not the same as a member card. ‘Please go to ground level and get one.’
I head up to the 6th floor—took the stairs. Speak with the rare books librarian on shift; ah yes! We are expecting you. Please give me your member card. I provide my online registration. That, however, is not the same as a member card. ‘Please go to ground level and get one.’
5/
No problem! Down I go. ‘Hi, here is my online number, I need my official card.’ She asks for my address in Germany. My permanent address. ‘I don’t have one; I’m a traveling scholar from the US.’ Blank look. ‘You cannot be given a card, then.’
No problem! Down I go. ‘Hi, here is my online number, I need my official card.’ She asks for my address in Germany. My permanent address. ‘I don’t have one; I’m a traveling scholar from the US.’ Blank look. ‘You cannot be given a card, then.’
6/
Now… I applied for a grant just to cover costs for this trip, to retrieve this one centrally important document. I am not panicking. Yet. But I explain that the rare books librarian is aware I’m not local. May I please have a card? She doesn’t know. She makes a phone call.
Now… I applied for a grant just to cover costs for this trip, to retrieve this one centrally important document. I am not panicking. Yet. But I explain that the rare books librarian is aware I’m not local. May I please have a card? She doesn’t know. She makes a phone call.
7/
It turns out that yes, I can have a card. She apologizes and says very funny good humored things. We part as friends. I return upstairs to make my digital copy. Oh yes: I have to have it professionally translated so I need a copy. I’m allowed to make one (but only in person.)
It turns out that yes, I can have a card. She apologizes and says very funny good humored things. We part as friends. I return upstairs to make my digital copy. Oh yes: I have to have it professionally translated so I need a copy. I’m allowed to make one (but only in person.)
8/ The rare books librarian for my university debit card. ‘Um?’ Oh dear, she says, you don’t have one. You need to buy a pre-paid one. On the ground floor. So down I go. It takes two tries but at last I find a venting machine. I am still not panicking. But is it hot it here?
9/
Because my temperature tends to rise when fight or flight mode hits. Upstairs I go with my card. ‘Put your USB in.’ I came with one, of course. In it goes. ‘What USB?’ The machine asks. ‘We don’t see one.’ We try two USB. Neither work. No, there is no other scanner. Anywhere.
Because my temperature tends to rise when fight or flight mode hits. Upstairs I go with my card. ‘Put your USB in.’ I came with one, of course. In it goes. ‘What USB?’ The machine asks. ‘We don’t see one.’ We try two USB. Neither work. No, there is no other scanner. Anywhere.
10/
Ok, don’t panic—I say to myself (why is it so hot in here??) ‘what are our options, here.’ Well. It also takes an SD card. Where can I get one? NO ONE KNOWS. It’s ok though. I saw a market that printed photos on my walk there. I’ll just go back downstairs and walk a mile.
Ok, don’t panic—I say to myself (why is it so hot in here??) ‘what are our options, here.’ Well. It also takes an SD card. Where can I get one? NO ONE KNOWS. It’s ok though. I saw a market that printed photos on my walk there. I’ll just go back downstairs and walk a mile.
11/
Okay. I forgot my bag was in the basement. I have a bit of cash. I find one I can afford. I walk back. Everything should work, right? WRONG.
Okay. I forgot my bag was in the basement. I have a bit of cash. I find one I can afford. I walk back. Everything should work, right? WRONG.
12/
I had trouble getting the package open. The librarian offers help. She has trouble too. Finally I hear the pop of plastic—and the dink-de-dink-dink that tells me we’ve dropped the SD card.
I had trouble getting the package open. The librarian offers help. She has trouble too. Finally I hear the pop of plastic—and the dink-de-dink-dink that tells me we’ve dropped the SD card.
13/
It’s a little known fact that IF you drop a mini SD card, it will promptly vanish into the seventh dimension. We can’t find it. I’m on my knees under a scan-machine with my phone light and a ruler—she is going about with a tiny dust brush. It’s NOWHERE.
It’s a little known fact that IF you drop a mini SD card, it will promptly vanish into the seventh dimension. We can’t find it. I’m on my knees under a scan-machine with my phone light and a ruler—she is going about with a tiny dust brush. It’s NOWHERE.
14/
I don’t have the cash to get another one. I have long since divested myself of the suit coat and am now sitting on the dirty floor of a rare books library about to give in and have a good cry. ‘Ok,’ says me. ‘Your machine doesn’t work with USB and we lost the SD.’ What now?’
I don’t have the cash to get another one. I have long since divested myself of the suit coat and am now sitting on the dirty floor of a rare books library about to give in and have a good cry. ‘Ok,’ says me. ‘Your machine doesn’t work with USB and we lost the SD.’ What now?’
15/
‘I suppose I could ask if it’s all right to just scan it for you later and email you the PDF.’
A scanned PDF. I’m an email. Which I was assured could not be possible, and so travelled over the Atlantic at my own expense to get.
‘What?’ Says me from the floor.
‘I suppose I could ask if it’s all right to just scan it for you later and email you the PDF.’
A scanned PDF. I’m an email. Which I was assured could not be possible, and so travelled over the Atlantic at my own expense to get.
‘What?’ Says me from the floor.
16/
While I’m pondering this, she decides to reboot the machine. And now it works with my USB. I will always remember her words… ‘sometimes you just need enough despair in the air.’ Followed by: ‘we have to do this all the time when the USB stops working.’ I’ve been here hours.
While I’m pondering this, she decides to reboot the machine. And now it works with my USB. I will always remember her words… ‘sometimes you just need enough despair in the air.’ Followed by: ‘we have to do this all the time when the USB stops working.’ I’ve been here hours.
17/
I’m not blaming the rare books librarian by the way. I worked in a place with rare books and librarians are the sane holdouts in this world. But I didn’t exactly do my scanning with the effervescent joy I’d started the day with. Persistence (+8 trips up to floor 6) pays off
I’m not blaming the rare books librarian by the way. I worked in a place with rare books and librarians are the sane holdouts in this world. But I didn’t exactly do my scanning with the effervescent joy I’d started the day with. Persistence (+8 trips up to floor 6) pays off
18/
And THAT is what research is like an awful lot of the time. The end.
And THAT is what research is like an awful lot of the time. The end.
The fact that this thread has gone viral (with marvelous responding horror stories of equally challenging archive work) just makes me ❤️ all fellow #researchers & #historians even more
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