Still Here

Hello readers!

No, I haven't closed up shop or fallen off mothership Earth. Just taking one of those unplanned, unscheduled, indefinite blogging sabbaticals.

More to come soon.

Take care, everyone.

It's 6:48 PM DST: Do You Know Where Your Sun Is?

It's certainly hasn't set yet, that's for sure.

A clear sign that Spring is around the corner.

F.W.I.W. (Part II)

FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH - PART II

Archives*Open, open or closed?: Russell D. James has been asking me if the Archives*Open blog is still open since I have not posted anything new in quite some time. Sometimes the best ideas run into unplanned obstacles.

The Archives*Open idea is still one with potential. Writing about what other archivists are doing with Web 2.0 tools and technologies to enhance and improve access to their archival materials and in turn inspiring other archivists to follow suit is encouraging and energizing. As I mentioned in the previous post, I'm really excited with what archivists are doing with these new tools and technologies. It has the power to change things, to change attitudes.

But still what I will do with the Archives*Open blog remains unknown. For lack of a better explanation, the Archives*Open blog is resting for a while.

The Archives*Open Twitter feed remains open and active, however, sending out tweets of interests to archivists. Additionally, the Archives*Open LinkedIn network, which has almost 40 members from around the world, is ripe for further growth. Feel free to join one or both of these networks.

Transit Nightmares: In mid-January, the local commuter rail service, Agence Metropolitaine de Montreal (AMT), which provides rail service between Montreal and the surrounding area, launched its "new and improved" service to encourage people to use public transit. With extra trains and better scheduling, the new and improved service was something most if not all commuters embraced. But the plan fell off the tracks no sooner had the so-called "new and improved" service began. Trains were late, trains never showed up, and trains stalled in the middle of no where, while commuters were either stranded on station platforms or packed like sardines in trains. Commuters were pissed. It got so bad that even the laid-back Quebec government cried foul.

From a Web 2.0 perspective, the AMT website is sorely lacking. It provides very little useful information to commuters, and offers little or no means to communicate with the transit agency. Where's the two-way communication, where's the always available information when we need it, heck, where are the GPS-enabled locomotives? Meanwhile, the local bus and metro transit agency, Society de Transport de Montreal (STM) does not fare much better. The STM website holds promise, but its valuable content is static, its stuck on web pages that deserve a bottom-up re-design.

Quebercers pay notoriously high taxes, which partly funds transit services. Let's build a transit service that works, more importantly, that responds to the public's needs. A good website is part of the solution. Take a look at the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) and Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) websites with their real-time schedules and email alerts and SMS services pushing out transit alerts to riders.

Photo credit: kevincrumbs

F.W.I.W. (PART I)

FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH - PART I

A word on work: I always approach each new job--make that, each new contract--with cautious optimism, and in this case with this new job, it's no different. The prospect of working on shaping and managing a university's content creation, storage and distribution mechanism is exciting and could take years to complete. So I am cautiously optimistic because the project I am working on, while it's yet another contract, is arguably one with the potential to last much longer than a standard 12-month contract.

Blogging at work: I'm blogging on a department-wide blog at work. The blog was started by the educational technology team in hopes of enabling conversations among staff. I wrote one blog post so far, and I intend to write at most two blog posts a month. It's a team blog so there are plenty of contributors. I am not sure if the blog is publicly available or restricted to the campus. When I find out, I will inform you all.

Music Music Music: When people ask me what was the last movie I saw, the answer often shocks them, as so often the movie I last saw was from one or two summers ago. While I enjoy a good movie (or a good book), I truly love music. I am always on the hunt for new (or old) music. If I were to write one those 25 Things You Don't Know About Me memes, I would definitely include on that list the love of music.

Speaking of music, I recently discovered a Scottish electronic band called Boards of Canada. Unlike some electronic music, which seem to comprise emotionless beeps over beats, Boards of Canada's sound has a rich sonic atmosphere and deep emotional undercurrents. I 'acquired' nearly their entire discography, which dates back to the late 1990s, and I am hooked to listening to their music.

Music has had such an impact on my life--like so many of you reading, I'm sure--that now I'm thinking about about creating music. I don't know where I'm going with this idea--or even if it's merely a daydream--but I want to enrich other parts of my creative life.

The Zen of banjos: While I was working in the Archives at the International Monetary Fund, I met an archivist with a unique passion for string instruments, particularly banjos. His passion is so great that he created an online database called Banjo Sightings Database. What most struck me about this archivist, however, was his desire to devote most of his time and energy to activities and causes well beyond his archivist role. I found his perspective inspiring and exemplary. 

Archivists and archives: Before I was given a job offer at McGill, I had applied to an archivist position at another large Canadian university. The position was called digital archivist, outreach services (or something like that), and the posting mentioned that the selected candidate would use current and emerging Web 2.0 technologies, such as blogs, to support the university archives' outreach activities. I thought I was dreaming. This position sounded ideal. So I applied...and, roughly 3-4 months later, I was subsequently rejected.

Rather than receiving a rejection email, I found out about the university's decision on a listserv. A listserv! How unprofessional! No wonder the university archives needs a digital archives outreach specialist. I emailed the Chair and requested an explanation for both why was the notice made public before the rejected applicants were informed and, on a personal note, what were the reasons for my rejection.

Profusely apologizing about the listserv mistake, the person who responded to my email further explained that I was not accepted because--wait for it, wait for it--because I had too much experience! Since graduating from library school, I had been told that I did not get the positions I had applied to because I did not have sufficient or matching experience. After several years of bulking up my experience with contracts, even relocating to the United States for a job, I was now told that I had too much experience. I had good laugh, believe me.

But, seriously, this is one example out of many in the past few months that has lead me to realize that the archivist hat I once wore is no more. It was something I once did, and now that chapter has ended.

At the moment, I'm really excited by grassroot archivists harnessing Web 2.0 technologies, challenging the status quo. To stress over these rejection notices and their incredulous explanations seems like a gross waste of time.

Onwards!

The Friday Abstract: Hang In There Readers

It's been a while since my last blog post, I know, and I certainly intend to write a few new blog posts in the coming days. In case you're wondering what the heck's been happening over at The DIGITAL Archive (yes, all two of you, I'm sure, are waiting anxiously for an update), I'm doing fine, tired but otherwise doing fine as I become acclimatized once again to the working world's tenets of routine, meetings, and deadlines.

While you wait, and while I write, some music to hold you over until we meet again, same blogspot, same URL, same feed.

Boards of Canada - Seeya Later

What does President Obama and I Have in Common?

Guess?

Give up?

This was our first week on the job.

(Hence the lack of any new blog posts here.)

Holy Twitter Tweets, Batman!

Twitter

After the Twitter bird feathers settled following my blog post on the 15 People All Archivists Must Follow On Twitter, I felt that I, make that, we--and by we I mean readers of this blog and Twitter users now following one another--had accomplished something close to a major milestone. We created a small but vocal and flourishing micro-blogging community.

Granted, I realize that many among the list do not always tweet about archives, archivists, or pressing archival issues (in that regard, I am probably the biggest practitioner of impractical tweets), but there is a sense of shared interests, which I am certain will bear fruit in the weeks and months ahead.

Moreover, by testing Twitter, many of us are now not only talking the Web 2.0 walk, but walking the Web 2.0 talk [thanks pakurilecz-dk], building and gaining real-world experience. What works. What doesn't.

It's true, Twitter can be addictive, like cigarettes. A potential time-waster, if used without discipline. But Twitter, simply put, is a nimble, mobile, light-weight publishing tool! Nothing comes close!

Twitter may change in a year or two. Another service may appear on the horizon. But what remains in the constant flux of technology evolution, and what will always remain, is our humanity: People want to create, communicate, share, and participate, and they will use these social technologies.

Reinvention: New Job

No, that's not a typo or a misprint, nor are you hallucinating. I found a new job. The telephone call and the official offer documents arrived mid-week and so therefore I can make the announcement here. I was offered, and accepted, a position at McGill University.

This position marks my return to the university, where I studied and received my MLIS and worked in the University Archives for several years.

This time, I will be working under the Information Technology Services banner, focusing on managing digital content and enabling collaboration among University units. It's a step in a new direction, one requiring, I feel, a Kierkegaardian kind of faith. Expect a slowdown in blog posts in the coming weeks, though a few pithy tweets are not entirely out of the question.

Archives*Open (perpetual beta)

When I launched Archives*Open back in early December, I was inspired and energized and greatly encouraged by the positive feedback and comments.

Today, I still feel inspired and energized. But now, with a new job starting imminently, I wonder if I can honestly maintain energy levels.

I hate to see a bright idea dim.

So in an effort to keep things moving I am making Archives*Open more, well, open, leveraging tools, technologies and services that are freely available on the Web to push content to the blog - with some editorial assistance on my part.

For example, I have started using a Twitter service called Twitterfeed, which takes RSS feeds (title and description fields only) and tweets them to a Twitter account. Regarding the Archives*Open twitter feed (@archivesopen), I am creating search parameters that encompass archives, access and Web 2.0 and saving them as RSS feeds and then running them through Twitterfeed to the @archivesopen Twitter account.

I have done something similar with Delicious, the social bookmarking service. Every time I find a website that fits 'the Web 2.0/innovative access to archival materials' classification, I tag it with "archivesopen" (no quotation marks, natch) and in time the bookmark (short blurb and URL) will be tweeted.

You can join in as well.

If you have a Delicious account, you can tag websites with "archivesopen." Fingers crossed, the bookmark will be tweeted via the Archives*Open Twitter feed.

Upwards and onwards. Stay tuned.

Photo credits comicbase; carrotcreative; Suviko

Ready, Set...Those New Year's Resolutions?

Happy New Year DIGITAL Archive readers! It's a little late, true, but, you know, better late than never, right.

So, what are your new year's resolutions? No, seriously, what are they? We've all made some, loudly or secretly. This time around, however, let's avoid those long lists of resolutions that so often (I'm at pains to say it) fail miserably.

Social media and technology expert Chris Brogan wrote a thoughtful post on new year's resolutions - and how to achieve them. First off, he doesn't make any; rather, he selects three words that help him define goals for the year ahead.

3 Words to Achieve Goals in 2009

Brogan clearly and logically explains the potential and power of selecting three words to set goals for 2009. Unlike traditional New Year's resolutions, which often push us, mostly reluctantly, towards a set of goals, the three keyword technique pulls us toward those goals. Their hope inspires us to achieve them. So how do we set those three keywords? Brogan offers this advice:

Look for three words that will help you frame your challenges and opportunities for 2009. Don’t think about where you are this exact moment...Try setting your three words far out on the horizon, but such that they can lead you to your goals every day.

Nice Stuff. But I'm Stuck!

As hard as I tried, I could not come up with even one word. But then, serendipity stepped in to the picture in the form of an email from a friend. In his email he wrote: Work. Freedom. Enlightenment. I kid you not. Perhaps he had read Brogan's blog post. I don't know. But what I do know, these three words sound perfect to me.

Work.

In these difficult economic times, I believe most adults fall into one of the following categories: employed and satisfied, employed but fearful of losing their job, and plain and simple unemployed and discouraged. If you fit in either of the latter two categories, I, in those immortal words, feel your pain. Seeking work in these times is hard work. Period. But let's use this keyword to inspire us, to pull us towards our goal. Work. Let's see. What kind of work? Let's step it up a level: What are you passionate about? It often said, but so true. What are you passionate about? Whatever it is, I am certain it will propel you through these difficult economic times.

Freedom.

Year after year, we drag chains that are latched to bad habits. We drag chains latched to negativity. Sour moods. And so on. These chains weigh us down and weigh down our productivity - and, worse still, weigh down our goals and dreams. What is the solution? Freedom. But to achieve freedom we need action. We need to take appropriate, effective, and resolute steps to achieve freedom from those chains that hold back. Objectively and often swiftly, we need to create plan and set it into motion.

Enlightenment.

This one is a touch vague and open to interpretation, which could be a good thing. From my perspective, the pursuit of enlightenment is about seeking wisdom from sources that we may have overlooked previously, such as those around us who are smarter and wiser than us. It also is about listening to understand rather than talking and wanting to be heard. It also is about quiting the mind in order to hear that still, small--and usually incredibly knowledgeable--inner voice.

Work. Freedom. Enlightenment. This is not another blog post. This is something I really want to pursue. Consider this a record of my decision.

Set your 3 words for a successful 2009!

Photo credit Harpagornis

2009 Predictions

It's December, it's almost the end of the year, and it's time, once again, to pull out the old crystal ball from the closet, dust it off, and gaze into its murky prescience to see the future as it relates to technology trends and the Web.

Location-based information and services

The rise of GPS and GPS-enabled devices such as the iPhone will propel location-based information and services. While large search engines such as Google are good at finding information from all over the place, they tend to lack the location-based results that we so often need. Expect microblogging to play a role in this sphere.

Location-based content writers, curators

When location-based information and services explode, there will be a need for people--writers and curators--to supply the increasing demand. Subject matter expects and locality experts get active.

Cloud computing (cumulus vs. cirrus clouds or local vs. global)

With Google storing our email, documents, photos and whatever else on its servers, the cloud computing concept and reality are expanding. In many ways, we do not need hard drives to store our files. I predict cloud computing will expand into two areas: local and global or cumulus and cirrus. Low hanging clouds (cumulus) could store the files and apps of small companies, while high clouds (cirrus) could store the files and apps of large or global-sized operations. Once again, I predict Twitter and other micro-blogging tools with develop their own local and global presence, with local focusing on specific groups and global on large, diverse groups (kind of like Twitter).

End of Free

There are many, many free services on the Web - but do any them have a revenue / business model? No one--not even I can argue--with free services, but I predict there will be an end to free. Will Twitter charge a fee, will Second Life, will wikis, etc - I don't know. But expect some serious talk about this in 2009.

Video Video Video

When I think about video, I think excellent education tool. The mumbo-jumbo gonzo videos will always be around on YouTube, but I predict video's educational power will increase its presence.

Collective Build (tm)

The Collective Build (my own little theory) is something I've been thinking about for several months. With all the stuff we're blogging, micro-blogging, podcasting, mapping, communicating, collaborating, community-making, we are building something that I am calling the Collective Build. We're building something huge, and as the tools and apps become more sophisticated, this people-powered, social-fueled Collective Build will start to take shape in 2009.

You've been warned.

Happy New Year, Dear Readers. Thanks for visiting.

Merry Christmas

Hello Readers,

Just wishing you all a very Merry Christmas, Season's Greetings, Happy Holidays, and a Happy New Year.

Your blogger in arms,

the DA

One Meme to Rule Them All

There are memes, and then there are memes. A meme is a kind of chain letter for the blogosphere without any nasty curses or an overwhelmed inbox of chain-emails, as Walt at Random explains. Someone tags you or serves you a meme and you respond, in turn, following a set of rules.

I have one meme I am working on (I haven't forgotten you, Oza). But I also served myself with a meme, right in time for the new year:

List 15 things you want to do or want to achieve in the new year, even if they sound improbable or unlikely.

Try it, if you like, and let me know what you wrote. Here's what I came up with:

1. Attend the launch of a Space shuttle.

2. Fly to the UK, run across the countryside, and fly back home.

3. Meet at least one interesting person each day and learn something new each day

4. Write a book, or several, and give talks around the world to inspire others

5. Read more.

6. Make music.

7. Participate in something greater than myself.

8. Live boldly and authentically.

9. Sleep soundly at night and wake up energized and alert at 6 am.

10. Find a cool gig on a sunny campus in California next to the Pacific Ocean.

11. Dip my fingers in the Pacific Ocean. 

12. Meditate.

13. Rest the mind and work the body.

14. Travel to Asia.

15. Make awesome memories.

---

A few weeks ago, I was served a meme by local Montreal blogger Oza Meilleur, who blogs at Oza Meilleur (the making of), but, unfortunately, I still have not started working through it.

While I was thinking about Oza's meme, I started toying with an idea for a new meme, which was partly inspired by a blog post I read on David Lee King's blog. King, who blogs at, er, at David Lee King, is a librarian, musician, writer, blogger, and videographer and seems like a very nice guy. He loves his job and shares his joy through his numerous social networks.

King's meme, or the one he had been served, has something to do with 99 things: Things you had done, things you want to do, and things you have not done and don't ever want to do.

I thought about it, and found myself focusing on things you want to do. That particular one seemed full of possibilities, it was hard to resist.

The Self-Interview: Tabloid Edition

TABLOID Reporter: Dave? Dave?

Dave: What the--? I'm sorry, but I really have no time for this. I have to catch my bus.

TABLOID: A few questions for the scandal sheets...enquiring minds want to know...

Dave: I normally don't talk to tabloids...

TABLOID: Whatever...You recently launched a third--yes, a third--blog. The question everyone wants answers to know is: Are you out of your mind? Three blogs? How are you gonna handle the pressure?

Dave: Out of my mind? No, of course not. Each blog serves a particular purpose. Arch.i.vi.us, for example, pretty much runs on its own. Not much intervention on my behalf. Just a few tweaks now and then. Thankfully, the blog remains a very good resource. I find something interesting there every day because the content it aggregates is always fresh and relevant.

TABLOID: Horrendous shameless plug. Now what about The DIGITAL Archive? Will your cornerstone blog be tossed to curb like your long line of ex-wives?

Dave: I cannot believe I am hearing you say these things. No, The DIGITAL Archive will remain online as long as its writer has something noteworthy to share.

But at the moment, what I am most proud of is my latest blog venture called Archives*Open, a blog that focuses on how archivists are using technology, particularly Web 2.0, to further enhance and improve public access to and understanding of archival material.

I hope to cultivate a collaborative team spirit with this blog, whereby other archivists can submit their Web 2.0 archival projects that they have recently launched or--and here's a big scoop!--they can submit their own thoughts and comments on Web 2.0 and Archives.

TABLOID: Major scoop! Archivists can also submit their opinions on Web 2.0 and Archives?

Dave: Yes, that's a new plan in order to make Archives*Open a more community-oriented, collaborative space. I welcome input. How would archivists use Web 2.0 in their archives? What Web 2.0 technologies, tools, or ethics would they want to implement, and why? I think it could generate some interesting discussions.

TABLOID: Wait a minute! Wait. One. Minute! Archivists and Web 2.0? You've got to be kidding me?! I bet half of them don't know what Web 2.0 is and the other half who do know want nothing of it!

Dave: I refuse to sink to such levels of cynicism. I know archivists are cautious professionals, analyzing the situation before committing themselves or their limited resources. That's smart. I mean, heck, I think we as a community are still figuring things out in regards to Web 2.0. This is all new stuff! But exciting new stuff, stuff that could change things for the better.

I believe Web 2.0 is a win-win situation, if we are willing to take a few calculated risks. Web 2.0 is not only about technology, it's also about thinking differently, looking at things differently. For Archives*Open, it's about thinking differently about access to archival materials. It's all about giving access to the masses in innovative ways!

TABLOID: Ugh! You have to work on your marketing skills. Listen. I'm still not convinced. I think this Web 2.0 is essentially a fad, like Facebook and Twitter.

Dave: Platforms, like the ones you mentioned, will indeed change or disappear and re-appear with a different look. But the key is what they fulfill: They fulfill the innate human desire to communicate, connect, and build communities. Didn't Seth Godin write a book called Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us, about people's desire to form and join a movement, an idea--something along those lines?

TABLOID: OK, Socrates! You're losing me here!

Dave: Nevermind.

TABLOID: So Archives*Open is open. That's wonderful news. Great. So much for if it bleeds, it leads.

Dave: Is the interview over then? Are we done?

TABLOID: One last question!

Dave: No more, please. Out of my way.

TABLOID: Dave! Dave!

Dave: Yes! Yes! I'm right here!

TABLOID: Is it true you dumped Jessica Alba for Jessica Biel? And what's with your obsession with Jessicas anyway?? Hey! Come back! You can't run away...you can out run me but you can't out run the paparazzi!

---

From time to time, I interview myself. I conducted a self-interview a few months ago which went quite well. It was a sit-down interview, one-on-one with myself across a table on a dimly-lit set with questions and answers in the spirit of an investigative Mike Wallace or a probing Charlie Rose interview.

This latest self-interview, however, was different. I don't know what happened to the previously dignified journalist; he was gone, replaced by some kind of uncooth tabloid reporter, the type who snakes around your favourite watering hole, waiting for you to spill some saucy bit of gossip.

But since I do not drink, I was accosted right outside the The DIGITAL Archive office. Confused and unprepared, walking while talking, I had to react as best as I could when his mic sprung up in my face.

The Friday Abstract: Taking a Sabbatical

In the past couple of weeks, I have thoroughly enjoyed reading and contributing to the wonderful discussion and debate on Archives 2.0. To all those who participated, whether you agreed enthusiastically, disagreed vehemently, or simply silently considered the ideas, I tip my virtual hat to you all.

Why?

Because two years ago, when there were only a few voices out in the digital wilderness talking about archives, technology and future trends, none of this kind of vigorous discussion would have taken place.

I think we should all--yes, all of us--tap ourselves on the shoulder.

That said, while I remain enthusiastic about Web 2.0's impact on archives and hopeful that something truly positive and transformational can occur, I realize, personally, that I have been 'out of the game' (okay, out of work, really, but 'out of the game' sounds more, well, more sportive) and I must get back into the game, hunker down, and move forward, if not only for sanity's sake but also for adding meaningful words and thoughts to the discourse with a calm and discerning mind.

Between finding employment and blogging, I have to honestly side with finding employment, especially in these econo-lyptic days.

I will take a break from blogging, but will continue micro-blogging over at Twitter.

I am also working on a new blog. A few of you, by accident perhaps, may have already come across it. My intentions are not to keep it a secret for much longer; but once it is securely settled, I will provide more details.

In the meantime, I am posting a Top 5 list of popular posts and a Top 5 list of not so popular posts from The DIGITAL Archive's archives based on Google's metrics.

Top 5 posts:

• What Library 2.0 Can Teach Archives 2.0
• The Friday Abstract: Those New Archivist Ads
• The Friday Abstract: Love is a Time Machine
• Archivist Jobs That Sizzle (i.e. do not suck)
• From Canada to London: How Twitter Opens (Conference) Doors

Top 5 not so popular posts (but still good reads, I think):

• The Web and History
• Weaving the Archivist Web
• uStream.tv and the rise of the new "ME" dia
• Dawn of Location-Based Information
• Web Trends 2008

Thanks for reading! Stay tuned!

EDUCAUSE Street Cred

I was ego-surfing the other day--you know, ego-surfing, typing your name into Google and finding out who's talking about you, who's linking back to your site, that sort of vain late night activity--and so, like, I googled my name, right, and guess where I appeared? On a link pointing to the EDUCAUSE website!  Yep, you guessed it, yours truly, on EDUCAUSE.

EDUCAUSE is a nonprofit association whose mission is to advance higher education by promoting the intelligent use of information technology, so says its website.  Now, I was located--or, rather, my profile was located--on a page listing current McGill staff members.  Now that's odd, considering I am no longer a McGill employee (though I have absolutely no opposition to be one again, but I digress).  But nevermind that slight mistake, what really is cool--and I mean real cool--is that the website recognized me as an Archivist-Electronic Records AND Blogger!

It's enough to make me forget my miserable cold!

The Friday Abstract: Love is a Time Machine

British band Oasis released its latest album "Dig Out Your Soul" on October 6, 2008.  I am very happy to report that the new album is almost a return to form, with catchy lyrics, heavy guitar chords and an anthemic, ambitious sound that made Oasis the band it is today - and one of the biggest bands in the world.

The first single from the new album is called The Shock of the Lightning, a wild ride of a song.

Take a listen and have a look.

Lost Without You

We've become so dependent on our computers that when they go awry, as in infected by a virus, or break down due to normal wear and tear, we become lost without them. Yesterday afternoon, I received a phone call from the computer repair shop where I had taken my virus infected machine to be cleaned. The news was bad but could have been far worse.

It appears that all of my Microsoft Windows XP files had become fatally infected and corrupted. The entire operating systems was dead. A complete hard drive re-format and re-installation were required. Luckily, the repair shop, using a bit of techno-wizardry, was able to extract several personal and professional files (around 3 gigs worth), scanning and cleaning them in the process.

I am big amateur Photoshop user. You can see my handiwork across this blog if you are viewing this post at The DIGITAL Archive. The header and sidebar graphics, custom brushes, silhouette shapes, all mine. They took me hours, sometimes days to design. All lost, I feared as I witnessed the virus spread across my hard drive like fire in a pool of gasoline.

But, again, thanks to some fast-thinking on behalf of my reliable (and now $200 richer) repair shop, I have my personal and professional files back. Not all, mind you. I lost fonts. Yes, fonts that I had found over the past two years. All gone. But I will rebuild, this time bigger and better - and backed-up!!

Many of you reading this process and organize archives. We maintain original order, preserve records for posterity. For example, I researched, wrote and talked about e-records management and digital preservation.

But I wonder if we, individually, have taken the time to examine and insure the safety and security of our own personal archive, our digital archive, where we, using our PCs or Macs, create and store a multitude of files in a myriad of file formats in essence creating and storing memories in text, audio and video?

Are we making sure these critical files are safe, secure, backed up, either on external hard drives, CDs/DVDs, or perhaps even in the cloud using online storage services such as Google Docs or Apple's Mobile Me?

Think about it.

A Farewell to Data: Virus Update

I dropped off my infected computer to the local repair shop. It does not look very good for my data, sadly.  I had made backups, so all is not entirely lost. But there will be some missing files. And plenty of hours spent on recreating my setup once the computer returns from the repair shop.

Virus Slams into DIGITAL Archive

From the department of "I guess it was bound to happen sooner or later." Late this afternoon, my computer was infected with a virus. Clicked something I should not have clicked. An innocent looking file...with a deadly .exe extension. And that was all she wrote.

Not happy. Not happy at all.

Career Reinvention or; Learning how to start over again without wincing

Who ever said re-inventing one's career was easy certainly never undertook the endeavour. Then again, if it were so easy, many more people would be leaving their current careers in pursuit of another and there would be fewer and fewer unhappy workers.

For the past five months, I have been attempting to reinvent myself, more proactively lately as the last of the summer warmth drains from the day and the chill of fall stirs one back to reality. Harsh reality. Long time readers know about my decision to transition from archives to another field. It's well documented.

The reinvention journey, or quite simple, how to start over again without wincing at the sudden shift in your life, is one I had anticipated as being difficult but not this hard. But there is a learning experience in all this, thankfully. One big lesson: Check your ego at the door.

Why let go of your ego? Well for one thing, when you start over, you are no longer a name, but rather a number. No more Mr. Digital Archivist. It's now, Hello, Applicant #S6009767. Your network? Well, that too changes. Case in point: I cold called (or cold emailed) a local organization, figuring, hey, maybe there is an available part-time job there. Instead, I received this sobering response:

Hello,
Thank you very much for your CV. Please note that currently we have no vacancies. However, I have forwarded your CV to our recruitment section.

Now if this poor soul only knew what I had accomplished and what I can do, he probably would have re-considered. Ahh...there's that ego again. Check. Check. Check.

Then there are those application exams that one must pass. Exams? To get a job? Have any of the Presidential candidates written exams to get to where they are now? Nope. I doubt it.

Uhmm...politics. Now there's something to consider.

The Self-Interview

In Conversation with Myself
BY DKEMPER

DKEMPER: Hi, Dave. How are you today?

Dave: I’m doing okay.

DKEMPER: Doesn’t it feel strange that you are interviewing yourself?

Dave: It doesn’t feel strange at all. Not at all. And, I don’t mind you interviewing me, or should I say me interviewing me. Anyway, I think it’s great. Let’s go, let’s see where this takes us. Go ahead.

DKEMPER: What have you been doing lately?

Dave: Since returning home from Washington, I’ve been keeping myself busy. I’m taking a few night classes at a local university in hopes of completing a certificate in Multimedia. I’ve already completed several courses already—I’ve been working on this certificate since 2003, taking courses on Photoshop, In Design, and Illustrator in addition to web and graphic design theory courses. I’ve also been busy with The DIGITAL Archive, trying my best to write daily. I haven’t been so successful on that front, I must admit. Blogging is tough, man, especially if you don’t want to hack out mumbo-jumbo. [Pauses] Besides all that, I am looking for work [Laughs].

DKEMPER: Speaking of work, you had an interesting year last year, right. Tell us about it.

Dave: Yeah, what a year! As you know (well, you should know, you were there with me), I lived and worked in Washington, DC on contract with the International Monetary Fund in its Archives unit.

DKEMPER: Wow! The International Monetary Fund! Isn’t that like two blocks from the White House? That’s pretty awesome!

Dave: I know…but I’m humble about it, really. I’m still this guy from a small ‘burb in Montreal.

DKEMPER: Who just so happened to have worked in Washington! So what did you do there?

Dave: I was hired as an Archives Records Officer, but on my business card, it read Digital Archivist. I was responsible for evaluating and selecting a new archives management system—a complete processing and web search software package—and for establishing a digitization workflow for a large-scale imaging project to scan historical IMF country files. Furthermore, I wrote procedures, quality control steps, things like that. I also wrote several reports and even corporate communication stuff that senior admin read and approved.

DKEMPER: Not so archivist in nature, eh?

Dave: I think I am part of the changing nature of archival work. As technology evolves and mixes with the profession, we’ll be seeing new and very different professional roles for archivists.

DKEMPER: Like what?

Dave: I suspect the changes will revolve around access—accommodating better access to archives material.

DKEMPER: Explain?

Dave: Meh, let me save that for another blog post [Grins].

DKEMPER: Good idea, if I do say so myself. So, let me get this clear: you finished the contract—it was a contractual position, right? You had a chance to stay on for another year, correct? What happened? Didn’t like Washington?

Dave: There’s been a fair bit of confusion over the whole thing. Let me explain. First off, the position was contractual, yes, and I was part of a larger, long-term processing project. I worked on the technical and systems portion of the project. Not processing. In that year I accomplished much. We selected a software package, scheduled training, and I was there to see an early install of the software. I was indeed offered a contract extension, but I declined.

DKEMPER: Why?

Dave: I underwent a profound transformation in Washington. I started feeling an increasing desire to switch directions in life, in general, and away from Archives in particular. In Washington—by the way, an unexpectedly vibrant city rich in American history, a city where American social, cultural, political, and military history has coalesced—I believe I reached a peak, a zenith, if you will, and I knew I needed to change. I was grateful for the offer to work in Washington at the IMF. [Leans in close] By the way, the world still has a few decent managers, thankfully. But at the same time I knew I had to change and declined the contract extension. I wrapped up as much as I could before I left, and I believe I left the Archives, and the IMF by association, in better shape.

DKEMPER: Any regrets?

Dave: No, none. Like I said, being in Washington, being surrounded by the history I had read about in history books during my university days, filled me with something I had not experienced before. I discovered something about myself and about the world. And I learned something that I now cherish more than ever, it’s a simple word Americans are fond of saying but perhaps have lost its true meaning through overuse.

DKEMPER: What word is that?

Dave: Freedom.

DKEMPER: Freedom?

Dave: Yes, freedom. Freedom is one of the most amazing things we have. We have the freedom to choose, freedom to live our lives as we want, freedom to make our decisions, even though we know we may end up failing or succeeding. We are free. Whether blessed by God, if you believe, or promoted by the State, freedom is wonderful; however, freedom is not free, as they saying goes. Freedom has a price. We pay a lot for it. As kids we pay for it by standing up to a bully and still getting shoved into a locker. But we pay the price because we want freedom. As adults, as citizens, we must remain free in life, love, vocation, or whatever. In everything we need freedom, and we must remain vigilant, steadfast, and prepared to fight for freedom.

DKEMPER: Getting political here? Are you voting Obama or McCain?

Dave: First, I cannot vote in the US because I am not American. I have my political opinions, however. Let’s leave it at. But I do believe this is an important election in which Americans need a leader with vision more than a president. Know what I mean?

DKEMPER: Okay, moving along now. What are you listening to nowadays?

Dave: You mean music? [Nods] Yeah, I’ve been listening to SomaFM, an ambient music Internet station. Cool sounds, man. Glad Oasis is releasing a new CD, same goes for The Verve. Been also listening to classical music and jazz. Nice and relaxing.

DKEMPER: Classical? Jazz? You turning soft on me?

Dave: Hey, I balance things out with a daily dose of Foo Fighters and 30 Seconds to Mars. So there!

DKEMPER: Recently, you wrote a long blog post on “Why I blog.” Wasn’t that a little narcissistic?

Dave: No, I don’t think so at all. At least I hope no one took it that way. I just wanted to be honest with my readers, some of whom have been reading The DIGITAL Archive since day one. I wanted to tell that The DIGITAL Archive is no longer the same “archives and archivist” blog as it was when I started, because its author is no longer the same archivist as he used to be. As I concluded in Part 3, I am more an archivist advocate, believing in the value of institutional archives and wondering how technology can transform the field and profession, than an archivist processing materials or debating the latest controversies.

DKEMPER: You mentioned before that you are changing directions. Isn’t that a difficult task?

Dave: It is hard! It’s easier said than done. Believe me. It elicits both excitement and sheer terror. But, alas, and you are not going to believe this, but I was received Zen tweet a second ago that said, and I quote: "Find a job you love and you'll never work a day in your life." Confucius

DKEMPER: Wow!

Dave: Yes.

DKEMPER: Summer’s almost over. Saw any good summer blockbuster?

Dave: Watched Iron Man and loved it.

DKEMPER: Saw anything else? Wally-E or Dark Knight?

Dave: No, unfortunately, not. Just Iron Man.

DKEMPER: You need to get out more often, young man!

Dave: I know, I know. Listen can we wrap this up soon?

DKEMPER: How is the job search coming along?

Dave: You had to save the toughest for the last, eh.

DKEMPER: That’s my job.

Dave: I’ll give you the sound bite version. It’s moving ahead but slowly. More slowly than I had expected. But that is life. Full of the unexpected. Transitioning from one career into another is difficult. It requires risk-taking on both sides; the employee and employer need to take a risk. I hope to find such an employer soon.

DKEMPER: No offense, Dave, but that is about as much deep thinking I can handle for one interview. Let’s eat.

Dave: Sure. What do you want?

DKEMPER: Don’t ask me that!

[This blog post was inspired by Stephen King's recent blog post.]