About

Hi, I'm Dianna Burch, and welcome to Dianna in the Archives!

I am currently working toward my MLIS degree, and this blog will document my practicum experience working with Archives and Special Collections at a college library in Mississippi. Since I live in Washington State, my practicum is completely remote, which makes this experience a little different from the traditional in-person practicum.

My main project will be working with historical documents that are handwritten in cursive and transcribing them into readable text. I'm excited about this project because it allows me to work closely with digitized original historical documents, while learning patience, attention to detail, and detective work in understanding an old document. Cursive handwriting can be challenging to read, especially when the writing style, spelling, or terminology is unfamiliar, so I'm sure there will be plenty of moments where I have to slow down and really study what I'm seeing.

Even though I'll be completing the practicum from Washington while working with a collection in Mississippi, I'm looking forward to seeing how technology can connect me with archival collections and professionals from across the country.

So, welcome to Dianna in the Archives! Follow along as I try to decipher the handwriting of the past, learn more about archival work, and discover the stories hidden within these documents.