This document discusses the importance of the Sigma Sigma Sigma sorority archives in preserving the legacy and history of the organization. It provides an overview of the archives, explaining how it has improved storage and organization over time. Members are encouraged to identify meaningful artifacts from their chapters that could be preserved in the archives, such as photographs, scrapbooks, jewelry and records. Proper care and storage techniques are outlined to prevent deterioration of materials. The future goals of the archives include further digitization of records and displays to make the history more accessible online.

1. Preserving our Past
Saving and Sharing Tri Sigma’s History
Sigma Sigma Sigma Sorority National Archives
archives@trisigma.org trisigmaarchives.omeka.net/

2. GOAL: Learn about what the archives
does and why, and understand how
members can help preserve Tri
Sigma’s history.

3. Learning
Objectives
What will you be able to do by the
end of this session?
1. Recognize the importance of a
properly managed archives to the
history of Tri Sigma.
2. Explain the importance of properly
caring for and preserving important
documents and other artifacts to
other Tri Sigmas.
3. Identify appropriate materials from
their own collections and that of their
chapters that could be candidates for
preservation, storage and display in
the Tri Sigma Archives.

4. Intro to the Archives

5. Today
★ Intro to the Archives
★ Caring for and Preserving
Materials
★ What will matter?
★ The future of the Archives
★ Q&A

6. What is an archive?
A place to maintain records of
a particular organization.
Contains materials such as
meeting minutes,
photographs, letters, CDs,
digital records, scrapbooks,
and more.

7. Why is an Archives important for Tri Sigma?
It is essential to ensuring that the legacy and history
of Tri Sigma remains intact for future generations

8. The Tri Sigma
Archives:
Since 2013

9. Then:
Storage Space
All materials were in the MLW
House basement

10. Now:
Storage Space
Materials in archival boxes
upstairs, organized on shelves.

11. Then:
Jewelry
Unsecured, unorganized, difficult
to see.

12. Now:
Jewelry
Secured case, better displays,
tagged and cataloged.

13. Then:
Dolls
Broken, missing, deteriorating.

14. Now:
Dolls
Developing cleaning and display
protocols, and guidelines for new
doll submissions. Replaced
missing dolls.

15. Then:
Triangles
Unorganized, multiple copies,
some water damaged.

16. Now:
Triangles
Every issue is cataloged,
organized, properly stored, and
ready for digitization.

17. Activity
What matters to you?
1. Think about something that is
important to you and your
connection to Tri Sigma.
2. Share with the person next to
you.
3. Share out with the larger group.

18. Caring For and Preserving Materials

19. Conservation v. Preservation

20. Major
Preservation
Concerns
● Environment
○ Humidity, light
● Paper acidity
● Damaged or
deterioration
○ Photographs
○ Scrapbooks
○ Dolls

21. Paper
High level of acid, brittleness,
chemicals leaching from other
materials

22. Photographs
Chemical leaching, acidity, age,
light, fragility

23. Scrapbooks
& Albums
Combination of the problems in
paper and photographs, plus
adhesive and leather

24. Dolls
Broken or missing limbs, plastic
discoloration and deterioration

25. What you can do
● Cold, dark, dry
● Scanning/digitizing
● Anything that is glued or
taped, leave glued or taped
● Plastic containers keep out
bugs, dust and light
● Send to the archives for care
and proper storage

26. Activity: 4 Groups - 4 minute discussion. Report out to
larger group - 5 min
1. Your chapter has a scrapbook from
1942 in the attic of your house. What
steps would you take to care for it?
2. You find a journal from one of your
charter members that describes the
early days of your chapter. It appears
to be water damaged and possibly has
mold. What would you do to make sure
that it doesn’t deteriorate any further?
3. A closet on the first floor of your
chapter house has a stack of photo
albums from the 1970s and 1980s. You
tried to take a photo out to scan it and
post it on Facebook as a “throw-back
Thursday” photo, and as you pulled it
out, it ripped. What do you do with the
rest of the photos in the album?
4. You noticed that your chapter’s charter
is hanging in the living room and gets a
lot of direct sunlight, and the frame is a
little cracked. What can you do to
preserve it?

27. What will matter?

28. What’s
important to our
history?
● Photos
● Tri Sigma Jewelry
● Scrapbooks
● Chapter history records
● Digital copies of awards
● Chapter songs

35. The Future of the Archives

36. What’s Next?
★ Digitizing Triangles
★ Organizing and creating a
comprehensive inventory of print
materials
★ Preserving damaged materials
★ New and better displays in the
MLW House
★ Creating a system for collecting
born-digital materials

37. trisigmaarchives.omeka.net/
The new home for digitized materials from the
Sigma Sigma Sigma National Archives

38. GOAL: Learn about what the archives
does and why, and understand how
members can help preserve Tri
Sigma’s history.

39. Archives Committee
Liz Johns, National Archivist
Katie Quirin, Preservation Specialist
Jana Felberbaum
Ginger Niemann Harper
MC Hartley
Michelle Hecktor
Wendy Kirkpatrick
Linda Manley-Kuitu

40. Questions?
archives@trisigma.org