I am going to make an attempt to return to blogging… Life over the past couple of months has gotten in the way.  So what I have been up to …

• I have settled into my job as City Archivist…. As a result my career has taken off!  This past fall I did two college lectures; one was even at the graduate level. I served on a technology panel at the TX-SLA annual meeting. Then I hosted the City’s first ever Archives month.  I applied for three grants and so far have been award one! Processed several collections and wrote the department’s contingency plan.
• I have made several new friends… And reconnected with several old ones
• Went on a couple weekend trips
• Enjoyed some time with Molly and Patrick
• Did some cooking and baking
• I have been hitting the gym hard and have lost 30 pounds (and still counting)
• Completed 2 – 5Ks

I am planning to blog about the exciting things that happened over the past couple of months and maybe some of the not so exciting things too!  One thing that has suffered over the past couple of months has been my photography, I just have not had time to practice and take pictures.  But above all I am the happiest I have been in a long time!

Today is Digital Archives Awareness Day!  This is the inaugural year (day), which aims to raise awareness of digital archives among users and practitioners, so that everyone can join in the conversation and contribute their own thoughts and ideas on how best to approach digital archives.

What many people don’t realize is that an archive now means much more than that, since the stuff being saved has gone beyond paper. Digital archives are all around us: from the photos we take with our digital cameras or phone, from the documents we create in Word, to email we send, and even our Facebook and Twitter post.  Then are records that digitize for preservation purposes, the historical maps, documents and photos.  

I am very lucky to work in the archives field and even luckier to work in the area of digital preservation.   From the newsroom to the corporate boardroom to city hall, I have seen impact digital archives has made on people from all walks of life.   It is gratifying when you can sit down and show a person that they can access historic records at their finger tips.   It is also equally gratifying when you can pull memories from past and share them at your finger tips.

Exploring the City of San Antonio, Office of the City Clerk’s Digital Collection (http://www.sanantonio.gov/clerk/archives/index.aspx) you can view the Alamo Property Plat and Field Notes, the first City Plat Books, a letter from Santa Anna, the Spanish Minutes Books (which are older than the US Constitution) and various historical and significant maps in regards development of San Antonio.   Each day I add something new the collection and each day I learn something new about San Antonio in process.    

Preserving digital archives does not stop when I leave the office, for me the job is 24 / 7.  I between writing, photography, and social media I produce my share of digital files daily.  Making sure my files are preserved is huge for me.   There are several easy steps you can do home to preserve your digital archives:

1. Take an honest look at what would miss if your computer, iPad or cell phone stopped working right this minute … make plans to safeguard that content.
2. Clean out your My Documents folder (back them up);  improve your file names by making sure they are descriptive
3. Have some floppies, CDs, or Zip Disk hanging around, and want to make sure that content stays with you? If you still can, take time to transfer those files to an external hard drive and/or storage service online.
4. Back up your most important files to location(s) other than the device or website they’re currently on.

Digital archives are all around us.  You don’t have a digital archivist to safe guard your digital assets you just have to aware of what you have.  If you have question on creating a personal digital archives or digitizing “old” documents, leave a comment – I will gladly give help!

One of my favorite places to go in Rockwall to relax was Harry Meyers Park.  The park was in downtown Rockwall and hidden just houses and Rockwall ISD administration building.   The park had dog parks, a splash park, several playgrounds, a lake, walking trails, and softball trails.

Patrick never really cared for the dog park but loved to walk on the trails and bark at the ducks near the lake.

Something many people don’t know about me is that growing up I was a rollerblader.  I loved rollerblading … I rollerbladed every night … on the streets, at the skating ring, in the driveway … where ever and when ever.   I gave up rollerblading when I went to college, I just didn’t have time for it and I really didn’t have  any place to rollerblade.  

When I came home last week I found my rollerblades in my closet.  So tonight I decided to lace up my skates and go rollerblading, well, I made it for a couple of laps but then I taken a turn too fast and wiped out, as a result I have nicely scraped up and swollen leg and knee … needless to say I am not 19 any more …

In the mist of downtown Dallas, you will the large public market known as the Dallas Farmers Market.   The Market was begun in late 1900s when farmers from the surrounding communities would load up their wagon with produce, livestock, and other farm goods to sales to the city folks.   By the 1930s the Market became an official city establishment.  Today the Market is made up of three barns and sales all kind of farm-produced products.   Floral and garden vendors are also located in the Market area.

A few weekends ago a photographer buddy and I adventured down to the Dallas Farmers Market to do some photography.   The Market is very welcoming of photographers of all levels.

All the time people ask which apps they should download for their smart phone.  I always have a hard time telling others what to download.  Instead of telling people what they should download I tell them which apps have been the most useful to me.  Below is a list of my favorite apps.  Please note I am iphone and ipad user so these apps have been used on those environments only and may respond differently on other platforms.

Amy’s Favorite Apps

Zino – The mobile magazine reader.  Since I have gotten my iPad, I have started reading all of my magazines digitally; it’s just so much easier.  I love that I have all my magazines with me all the time and that I can easily pull up any past issue I want. Zino also allows you to look through various popular magazines and read select articles for free.

Units – One of the useful apps I have found.  Units allow you enter a value in measurable unit and it converts to all relevant units.  This app saves me a lot of time and lot of frustration.  It does everything from time to volume to data.

Shazam – The app that give you the ability to tag your favorite tunes.  I am terrible at knowing the name of the bands and tunes.  I being able to just launch the app click tag and find out the name of the artist and the song.   There are many other features to the app that I don’t use.  I also use this app as a minder of which songs to download.

Run Keeper – Run Keeper allows me to track my activities in easy way.  All you got to is firer up the app and your type you are doing like running, cycling, mountain biking, cross-country skiing, swimming, and a host of other sports, pressed go and the stopwatch starts. The app gives you a number of stats on the activity screen allowing you to clearly see your time, the GPS signal (for tracking your activity), the average mile per hour, the calories you’ve burned and the total distance you have run. There is also the option to see your current pace in minutes per mile. I love seeing being able to see my running route and distance.

The Weather Channel  – Another useful app.  Anywhere I am in the world I can pull up the Weather Channel app and see what weather is doing there or where I will be traveling.  The maps are very actuate and easy to see.  The app also pushes out alerts, which will let you know when threating weather is the in area.

Tomorrow marks the end of my chapter at DB&A.  After almost five years with DB&A tomorrow will be my last day.

The last five years have been nothing short of amazing, challenging and frustrating (at times).  During the past five years I have grown professionally and learned so much and in so many ways; additionally, I have met so many amazing people, from all over the world.  I very thankful for the opportunities I have had with DB&A, for working with DB&A has truly made me the professional I am today.

Thinking back over the past years, I have accomplished a lot such as …

• Nuclear Research for the sales and marketing department
• Countless Network upgrades for the Marketing Center
• Moved the Marketing Center/Corporate Headquarters to a new location
• Upgrade memory in all the MC’s computers
• Purchased new computers for the entire marketing center
• Upgrade the Marketing Center/Corporate Headquarters’ server
• Upgrade GoldMine from dbase to SQL
• Rolled out companywide email
• Rolled out antivirus software
• Fixed multiple computer issues
• Setup multiple smart phones
• Wrote a IT policies and producers handbook
• Implemented a photo system
• Began a client Database
• Took the project library from a hard copy library to digital library
• Fixed Multiple server issues

In about a week I will begin a new chapter of career as an archivist for the city of San Antonio.  The job is my dream job – it is what I have studied and worked towards since I have graduate from my master’s program.  I am excited about the opportunities I will have with the city and I am excited about the type of work I will be doing.

While I feel like I accomplished a lot with the DB&A I feel like I have became “used up” meaning I feel like I lost my passion for fixing computer and implementing IT solutions, rather my passion is digitally preserving documents and data for the future.  Iam look forward to the awesomeness, challenges and frustrations my new position brings.

Here lately, I have been playing catch-up in regards to blogging.  Which got me thinking about why I blog?

I blog because…

• It is an outlet for creative expression – my thoughts, my words, my photos, etc. – helps to keeps my creativeness flowing
• It helps me develop and maintain my writing skills
• Provides me away to document what is going on in my life, especially in regards to travel, photography and cooking
• Provides me a place where I can post/share my photography
• It’s refreshing … there is a sense of accomplishment after a blog post
• Self-expression  – it’s my blog I can say what I want

Overall I really do not care if I have a ton of followers because I write for myself,  Blogging for me is a self-fulfilling prophecy, it’s something I do for myself.   I am thrilled if others read about my adventures and look at photography and I hope they do.