OK, I'm listening to the report now on the NPR website ... and sure
enough, the beginning of the report refers to the "subterranean vault",
and  the "dusty treasure trove". The report also refers to Mary Beth
herself as a woman "whose second home is a bank vault."  THIS is what
drives me nuts. While we may be housed in some pretty weird spaces, why do
reports like this go out of their way to mention the strange aspects of
our work and our collections?

The report does have some nice quotes from Mary Beth, in which she puts
the records in historical context (gold and the purchase of Alaska -
nicely done). Have to give NPR credit for that, and I think that does
qualify as "history detective". So I don't see an an insult in the term
"history detective". What I do see is an instance of stereotyping archives
as weird dusty things presided over by weird dusty people. Not the first
and certainly not the last.

Sigh ...

Carole Prietto
Daughters of Charity West Central Province
St. Louis

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