Today’s visit to the GLBT archives with Isaac Fellman was the second time on this trip that I was moved to tears. While the resources are limited in this space, the community driven mission of the organization was clear- these items belong ‘to the community’ while they are in collection at the GLBT archives.

After yesterday’s exploration of individuals vs institution, it was interesting to see a flip side of personalizing museum work. Isaac was open and frank with us about personal hang-ups concerning different collection items, which was much appreciated. It presented a thorough take on the difficulties of preservation, and the many judgement calls a collection manager has to make daily. In particular, these challenges concern the balance between access and preservation. I liked how Isaac shared not only his concerns, but examples of changing his mind or trusting other people in the organization. The collection is incredibly important to him, but it does not belong to him. Bringing in other perspectives keeps the good of the collection (and therein the value it can bring the community) at the forefront where personal investment can muddy decisions.

While we were there, multiple researchers came in, all chatting as they set up. Objects held in collection can be a powerful force in bringing people together. Seeing a snippet of that today renewed my interest in collections, and reminded me of the importance of the tangible in telling stories. With Lou’s diaries (and the many items in collection), we are connected to the past in an intimate way. I’m excited to practice drawing those connections to the past in our project presentation on Friday!