We are pleased to welcome Liz Francis to DCA, who has joined us in a term appointment in the Records Archivist position. She has already become a key contributor to the archives team. I asked Liz to write a little something to introduce herself here. Stop by and say hello if you're in Tisch. Welcome, Liz!
I am thrilled to join Digital Collections and Archives as Records Archivist. Stepping in to replace Veronica Martzahl, now Electronic Records Archivist at Massachusetts State Archives, I am grateful to my predecessor for, well, keeping such good records. My role at DCA is to oversee the intake of new collection material, both physical and electronic, and to process incoming collections to ready them for researchers. Jumping right in, the first collection I tackled, with the help of talented Tufts student assistants Elyse Werling and Grace Tam, was the Mobius records - more than one hundred boxes of materials documenting thirty years of experimental and performance art in Boston. Stay tuned for future blog posts about this important collection.
Before joining DCA in November, I assisted researchers at the Massachusetts Historical Society, processed archival collections at the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University, and researched digital preservation strategies for the MIT Libraries. A long-time Boston resident, I am excited to delve into the rich history of Tufts and the exotic Somerville/Medford borderlands. My initiation begins with some background reading, Jumbo: This Being the True Story of the Greatest Elephant in the World by Paul Chambers. Outside of Tufts, I participate in the wider archival community by volunteering with our regional professional organization, New England Archivists, and our national organization, the Society for American Archivists.
If you see me around campus, don’t hesitate to challenge me to a Jumbo trivia face-off. And if you would like to discuss your own records, contact me anytime at elizabeth.francis@tufts.edu.