Week in the life: Kevin Leonard, University Archivist

Tuesday

The morning, like all others, began by logging onto my e-mail account. University Archives responds to the reference inquiries of nearly 2,000 patrons per year and handles approximately 1,000 pieces of correspondence each month: That's more than enough to stay busy. Today's messages required a preliminary appraisal of a collection of manuscripts, the personal papers we hope to acquire from a distinguished member of the Northwestern faculty.

Wednesday

Today was consumed by student and media reference inquiries pertaining to the 160th anniversary of NU's charter and the frenzy over the so-called "brothel law." The Big Ten Network requested and received (I'm pleased to note) information on George Jewett, a 19th-century student and the University's first African-American football player.

Thursday

Posted a departmental Facebook entry on Anucha Browne, one of the greatest basketball players ever to represent NU. With a Facebook fanbase comprised largely of students and alumni, Archives uses its account to push out items relating to NU history and to highlight departmental collections. (Take a look and become a fan!) Assistance to patrons involved searches through the department's enormous collection of NU football game films as well as through a small but growing set of basketball films and videotapes.

Friday

I gave a tour of Archives to a few students interested in the nature of our collections and tried to schmooze them out of their own personal papers and whatever NU memorabilia they may possess. Archives collects the records of student organizations as well as selected personal papers (course notes, scrapbooks, photograph collections, etc.) of contemporary students.

Agreed to give a Northwestern history/walking tour of campus to a staff organization after the weather improves. Provided biographical information to an outside researcher looking for details on the life of William Bryan, a 19th-century military veteran who won the Medal of Honor and also a former athletic coach and trainer for NU. Drove over to the Athletic Department and picked up a carload of old records — game and season statistical information — and videotapes. Closed the day by corresponding with a 1970s alum of the NU Marching Band, hoping to secureNUMB-related documents from that era.

Saturday

Attended the NU vs. Ohio State basketball game. Sure, the game was exciting, but part of archives work is like old-fashioned ward-heeling. The hunt for new collections never ends, and NU weddings, wakes and athletic events present good opportunities to buttonhole people and talk them into depositing their files.

Monday

I participated in a conference call pertaining to storage conditions optimal for the preservation of film and video. Archives holds thousands of reels of 8- and 16-mm film and thousands more spools and cassettes of videotape, all relating to NU events, programs, staff, faculty and students from the 1920s to the present. The preservation of these formats is an enormous challenge but well worth the effort.

In anticipation of the snowstorm projected for later in the week, I spent much of the day responding to a flurry of requests for information on past weather-related cancellations of classes. Had NU ever canceled classes? How often? When? What does it take to get a day off? Hope springs eternal, I guess.