What does 'archives' mean to you?
By Dan Burns, Guest commentary
April 20, 2006
The word "archives" seems to be gaining new stature in the lexicon
of our daily lives. As Archivist for the Diocese of Sioux City let me say that
I'm thrilled to be riding on the coat tails of this newfound notoriety. However,
before I get too carried away it may be a good idea to stop and consider how the
word is being used. For example, just the other day my computer asked me if I
want to archive my old e-mails. Not knowing what the computer's definition of
archives was I decided to play it safe and just say no. In addition, numerous
web pages maintain their own archives.
As soon as the information on certain web pages becomes old (which on the
Internet could be a matter of a few minutes) it is eschewed away to the
archives. The more I think about it, I'm not so sure that I'm gaining the sort
of acclaim (from association) that I was hoping for. The archive that I have the
honor of maintaining is full of vibrant and relevant information about the
people and events that have shaped our collective existence as a faith
community. Maybe I'm not comparing apples to apples, but I think our diocesan
archives beats out just about any virtual archive found on the Internet. In
fact, I reasonably suspect that your own archive, in the form of pictures,
family heirlooms and the like, are abundantly more interesting than any archive
produced in the electronic world.
What is it about treasures from the past that so completely grabs our
attention? Perhaps it's the thrill of finding just a bit of ourselves in the
yellowing paper that draws us near, but I would suggest that the lure of the
looking glass is only the bait, and like the un-suspecting fish, we don't
realize that we've been hooked until it's too late. The story that unfolds from
the interweaving narratives and photos is the hook, and like the song of a Siren
(or stink bait to a catfish), it is too sweet to ignore. This point was driven
home in a personal way recently when my youngest child abruptly diverted his
attention away from his favorite TV show and grabbed a book and plopped down in
my lap.
We're all "suckers for a good story". This is as true at a personal
level as it is at the diocesan level. Every letter, every picture, every parish
history book in the archives is part of a larger story. As archivist, I'm called
upon to gather together bits and pieces of information from different sources
and assist researchers in bringing together a good story. The more relevant
information I can deliver, the better the results.
So, I've led up to a point, which is simply this: The story of our diocese is
dependent on what we put into our archives. The majority of what we acquire
comes from people who have opened up the old family trunk and found a piece of
our diocesan story mixed in with their family's story. Just recently a generous
and thoughtful soul brought in a wonderful picture of Bishop Heelan sitting down
to breakfast with a pastor from Mallard. Someone else brought in a
well-preserved turn-of-the-century button commemorating Father Gerlemann's
(Granville) silver jubilee. We are honored to be stewards of these items, and
would likewise be honored to care for any diocesan artifact or picture that may
be waiting to be uncovered among your family's treasures. I can be reached by
phone at 712.233.7525 or e-mail at danb@scdiocese.org.
(Dan Burns is the diocesan archivist.)
