CV

Please feel free to contact me with any questions at sara(dot)a(dot)borden(at)gmail(dot)com.

Professional Experience as an Archivist and Historian

Digital Services Librarian, Historical Society of Pennsylvania (HSP), Philadelphia, PA, December 2013 to the Present
The main responsibility of my role is to contribute to content-creation within HSP’s digital asset management system, Collective Access, whose public interface is the Digital Library. The primary mechanism by which I do this is through processing and coordinating external and internal rights and reproductions requests. When patrons want to publish images of HSP materials, I respond to their inquiries. I also handle requests from researchers who have found materials not-yet-digitized. Most often, patrons find these items through HSP’s online catalogue, Discover. If they wish to commission digital surrogates of collections materials for remote viewing, they send their requests to me. Inquiries also come in from in-house staff as well as patrons using HSP’s Reading Room.  I keep up a hands-on role in digitization, producing both PDF and TIFF digital surrogates.  This means that I must maintain familiarity with our Epson Expression 10000XL flat-bed scanners, our medium-format overhead Hasselblad camera, and the software that runs them.  As such I am quite familiar with the Adobe software suite (most notably Photoshop and Bridge) and have worked with the camera software Phocus when using the Hasselblad.  I also act as project manager for grant-funded and departmental projects. Most recently, this was through “Historic Images, New Technologies” (HINT), which was funded through a grant from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission’s (NHPRC) Innovation in Archives and Documentary Editing program, and was completed in August of 2015. HINT culminated in a wonderful educational digital history exhibit called, “Politics in Graphic Detail: Exploring History through Political Cartoons.” I also participate in the strengthening of HSP’s digitization program, including development of standards and guidelines for creating, managing, preserving, describing, and delivering digital collections files as well as forming digital access partnerships. I serve as a staff resource on copyright issues and sit on staff committees as requested.  Finally, I work many of HSP’s exciting in-house events during the busy spring and fall seasons.

Digital Archives Coordinator, Archives of the Museum of Anthropology and Archaeology at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, May 2012 to November 2013
I cataloged the Archives’s collection of all imagery. The position consisted of creating an inventory of all digital photos.  These are photos of both documents in the archival collection as well as photographs of items in the museum itself. I ensured that data associated with a particular image corresponded to the museum object in that image.  Once I did this, using the Museum’s inventory software (KE Software’s EMu), the Archives’s digital image database (FileMaker), and Adobe Bridge (which I used to write the appropriate data to the image), I then uploaded the images to online catalog for display to the public.

Digital Projects Archivist, PhillyHistory.org, Azavea, and Philadelphia City Archives, Philadelphia, PA, July 2011 to November 2013
In this position, the other archivists and I endeavored to digitize the entire collection of more than 2 million photographs and negatives housed at the Philadelphia City archives at the item level.  In any given collection, I processed each photograph or negative.  Processing consisted firstly of creating a catalog entry on PhillyHistory.org.  Some collections get entirely digitized while others must be appraised to determine which images have the most utility for researchers and which should not be put online due to privacy restrictions or other factors that make them unsuitable.  Then, I entered new metadata for each record according to local standards.  I also spent some time correcting any errant existing metadata from other records.  Additionally, I responded to user commentary and error reports; performed minor image clean-up (such as brightening, color adjustment, or cropping); assisted researchers; updated social media through writing blogs and updating Twitter.

Meeting Planner, 2012 Public History Community Forum, the Woodlands, Philadelphia, PA, December 2011 to April 2012
I led the team that organized the second annual 2012 Public History Community Forum. I led efforts involved with finding and choosing the site. I handled the budget. I organized the campaign to publicize the meeting and encourage attendance. I spearheaded the recruitment of speakers and presenters. I also handled on-site day-of preparation and logistics, including set-up, break-down, time-keeping, registration, and anything else that needed overseeing. In terms of follow-up, I oversaw the creation of a feedback survey that was distributed to meeting attendees.

Meeting Planner, Public History Community Evaluation of Temple University’s Center for Public History, Philadelphia, PA, October 2011 to December 2011
In this role, I found an agreeable date as well as venue for the meeting. I handled the budget and the logistics, including hiring a videographer; making arrangements for food that would meet the necessary dietary requirements of the attendees; ensuring that the meeting space was sufficient; and notifying the attendees of all necessary information, including meeting itinerary. I drafted all necessary paperwork, including questionnaires and media release forms, as the evaluation was filmed.

Volunteer Judge, National History Day Philly, Philadelphia, PA, 2011 to the Present
I have volunteered to judge the history projects that local schoolchildren present at this event since 2011. This is quite possibly the most gratifying role I have undertaken as a historian. I enjoy talking to the children about the research that goes into their projects, whether they’re presentation boards or video documentaries.

Office Assistant, Dr. Francis E. Capista Family Practice, Havertown, PA, June 2011 to July 2011
I undertook records management and organization.  My additional responsibilities included performing general office duties, such as responding to phones and clerical work as needed.

Public History Intern, Urban Archives (Special Collections Research Center) at Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, February 2011 to May 2011
During this internship, I worked on Urban’s digital initiative, “Civil Rights in a Northern City.”  This website is intended to give an overview of the twentieth-century civil rights movement in Philadelphia by bringing together documents from across the vast collections owned by Urban Archives. My responsibilities included tasks such digitizing documents, both textual and photographic, as well as doing research to create textual content for the website.  I cataloged each of the documents I digitized using Urban Archives’s CONTENTdm portal according to Library of Congress Authorities.  I wrote essays on lawyer and civil rights activist Cecil B. Moore, the history of Columbia Avenue (renamed Cecil B. Moore Avenue), and the activities of black militants.  I also curated film and videographic materials.

Archival Intern, Urban Archives (Special Collections Research Center) at Temple University , Philadelphia, PA,  July 2010 to September 2010
The biggest chunk of my time during this internship was spent processing the Black Coalition collection. The collection was available for research, but unprocessed. I rehoused everything, took detailed inventory, and imposed order as there was none and the original order had not been preserved (the records appeared to have been hastily placed in boxes). I then created a new scope and contents note, background information essay, and finding aid based on local Urban Archives standards. I worked with researchers both in-person and over the phone, assisting them in finding the documents to meet their needs.  I also digitized (by scanning) and catalogued Philadelphia Branch N.A.A.C.P. photograph collection using Adobe Photoshop (for some minor image correction such as cropping and fixing tonal issues) and CONTENTdm. Lastly, I created an exhibit regarding the creation of Philadelphia’s Elfreth’s Alley as a tourist attraction which examined history as a man-made phenomenon via a critical look at the evolution of Elfreth’s Alley from a working class street to a modern-day point of interest.

Volunteer, National Constitution Center, Philadelphia, PA , Summer 2007
I served as a visitor liaison at the Center. This required me to spend time in the exhibits interacting with the public. I also taught special exhibits on paper-making and book-printing. Additionally, I facilitated behind-the-scenes museum workings, including ensuring that shows got started on time and ran smoothly.

Volunteer, Haverford Township Historical Society, Haverford, PA, Summer 2007
I processed a collection of glass plate negatives, which included rehousing them into acid-free envelopes. I cataloged them based on original metadata as well as subject matter. I then worked with other volunteers to create a digital finding aid.

Education

Temple University, Philadelphia, PA,  September 2009 to May 2011
I was awarded Master of Arts in Public History with concentration in archives from Temple in 2011.  I studied history with a focus on American history, particularly the 20th century civil rights movement and especially what happened in Philadelphia and the northeast. I also studied public history with a concentration in archives; this concentration required me to take 3 courses on archives. Additionally, I wrote several research papers. I wrote one paper on the interplay between African American religion and the civil rights movement in the course of a class on religion in modern America. I wrote another research paper on an enslaved woman’s escape while she and her owner passed through Philadelphia. This document was created as a requirement for a course on 19th-century American history and explored why Pennsylvania was a popular destination for those escaping slavery. I produced a paper on the care and handling of photographs and photographic negatives for preservation purposes and examined how various types of negatives and photographs can deteriorate over time. Another research paper examined archival outreach within local communities; why there might be a reluctance to donate materials on behalf of underrepresented populations; and how archives can encourage these groups to preserve their materials. Each of these papers were the result of my work in my archives studies courses.  I led a project at Temple University’s Charles L. Blockson Afro-American Collection to process and create a finding aid for the records of the Downingtown Industrial and Agricultural School. This collection was available for research but lacked a finding aid and had not been rehoused in archivally sound boxes. Original order had been lost and needed to be restored. I participated in a collaborative class (Managing History: An Introduction to Public History) project to design a new image rights and reproductions policy and fee schedule for the Wagner Free Institute of Science. I worked with classmates as well as the staff at the Wagner.  Then I participated in a collaborative class (Studies in American Material Culture) project to assist mounting the First Person Museum undertaken by First Person Arts. We examined the meaning of material history and how to extrapolate history from everyday objects. The ultimate task was to interview object owners and create a series of very short (50 words or so) but meaningful captions to go with the objects in the museum. Each caption had to reflect the meaning of the object to the owner, to society in general, and shed light on some moment in history under the very tight word limit. We were attempting to figure out how can museums effectively communicate historic meaning while contending with today’s short attention spans. I was also given the opportunity to be the student voice during one of the very first meetings that gave rise to the inaugural 2011 Public History Community Forum. While I was somewhat involved in the planning stage, I also participated in the meeting as a student. Finally, I wrote my thesis, entitled “An Examination of How Archives Have Influenced the Telling of the Story of the Modern Philadelphia Civil Rights Movement,” on the intersection between archives and the Philadelphia civil rights movement. Among the questions I attempted to answer were: how do archives influence the re-telling of a particular historical moment? How does what archivists do affect the way history is written? I specifically examined the story of the Black Coalition, a local civil rights group, the way they’ve been portrayed in historical works and what their true nature was based on original research of my own. Additionally, I explored how successful or not digital resources have been at attempting to blend archival documents with a historic event or story on the web.

Delaware County Community College, Marple, PA, August 2008 to December 2008
I took the Black and White Photography I and II courses. I earned no degree or certificate.  However, I learned the art of black-and-white film-based photography from the ground up. I became educated in the basics of good photographic composition. I learned the proper handling of raw film and the ins-and-outs of handling a camera, including all the settings (f-stop, shutter speed, focal length, etc.). I experienced the procedures involved with processing  raw film, developing negatives into usable images. I then won an honorable mention in the annual juried student art show.

Arcadia University, Glenside, PA, September 2001 to May 2004
I was awarded my Bachelor of Arts in history with a minor in art history, with honors in May of 2004.  I was also in the Honors Program. This meant that I was expected to take extra courses, one of which involved travel to Greece. I also executed an honors project, which required me to write a research paper (my chosen topic was the field of criminal profiling, its applications and its implications for the criminal justice community) and then present it to the Arcadia University community.  Additionally, I undertook thesis research from May 2003 to April 2004 which resulted in a senior thesis entitled,  “Octavius Catto:  Forgotten Philadelphia Civil Rights Martyr.” I worked my way through college with a variety of jobs. I worked as a tutor to some of my fellow students in subjects such as history, English, and writing. I was also employed in the writing center helping my peers edit and improve the papers they were required to write for classes. I also worked at area elementary schools tutoring and mentoring students after school. This consisted of helping them learn reading, basic math, and English skills.  Finally, I tutored an area middle school student in French.

Previous Employment History

American Association for Cancer Research, Philadelphia, PA
Editorial Assistant, Clinical Cancer Research, August 2007 to August 2008
In this position, I gained more experience with project management.  Each assistant was assigned a batch of research articles submitted for publication, anywhere from 60 to 100 at a time. I provided technological support to the potential authors who used the SmartSubmit submission system. I did the initial quality check, which included minor proofreading of articles for formatting purposes. I managed quality control for images affiliated with articles. I assigned peer reviewers to each submission. I  ensured that peer reviewers submitted their reviews in a timely fashion and ensured e-mails and phone calls regarding the status of various articles were quickly and accurately responded to.  I notified the authors as to whether their articles were accepted for publication or rejected. I assisted authors over the phone and via e-mail with their submissions as well as addressed questions regarding:  style; stage of manuscript; the process for submitting reviews; and manuscript formatting. I facilitated submission of reviews of manuscripts; and editor submission of decisions. I also tracked author and reviewer online accounts as well as disseminated copyright permission letters.

American Podiatric Medical Association, Bethesda, MD
Health Policy and Practice Administrative Assistant, March 2005 to January 2007
I was the assistant to the Director of the Health Policy and Practice Department. Here, I first learned project management skills. I responsible for the logistics of the compilation of the first APMA Coding Manual, which began as a CD-ROM (and which is now an online resource; I had no involvement in that stage). I arranged for the national Carrier Advisory Committee (CAC) and Private Insurance Advisory Committee (PIAC) Meeting. (Each state has podiatrists assigned to be representatives for that state who facilitate dealings with either Medicare (CAC) or private insurance carriers (PIAC) for other podiatrists and patients in that state.  They meet once a year under the umbrella of the APMA.) I also handled daily office duties and served as the departmental liaison with the public via phone and e-mail. I dealt with laymen, as well as members of the various APMA action committees and the Board of Trustees. I arranged for travel and lodging for departmental trips. I facilitated departmental meetings on- and off-site. I updated the departmental website. I produced any outgoing correspondence. I created PowerPoint presentations for meetings; surveys for feedback on meetings and outreach efforts; and workbooks and handouts for meetings and events.

Floating Administrative Assistant, January 2005 to March 2005
I provided assistance to any APMA department as needed, including Membership, Executive, Publications, Health Policy and Practice, Legislative Advocacy, and Council on Podiatric Medical Education. My duties included data entry in the form of updating membership records; front desk responsibilities such as greeting guests and fielding phone calls. I also organized materials for publications and meetings and compiled reports. I was quickly promoted to my next position, the official Adminsitrative Assistant of the Health Policy and Practice Department.

I have had some form of employment since I was a middle school student. One of the first ways I found to earn money was tutoring my fellow students and volunteering as a mentor for elementary school children. My favorite subjects to help my fellow students or young mentees learn included reading, writing, general English skills (grammar, spelling, etc.), and history. I also spent time volunteering at my local SPCA, walking dogs and playing with cats. I always received high marks in school, as I was a dedicated student with a love of learning. I was a member of the National Junior Honor Society in middle school and went on to be inducted into the National Honor Society in high school. I was also a member of the National French Honor Society. I studied French from middle school into college. Sadly, I would say I am only somewhat conversationally fluent these days, but I can still read French fairly well.