Staff Papers
Ephemera : is it really just nostalgic junk?
A paper presented by Sonja Street, Cataloguing-In-Publication Section, at the 10th National Library Technicians' Conference, Fremantle, 8-10 September 1999.
CONTENTS:
- Abstract
- Introduction
- 1. Ephemera Consists of...
- 2. NLA's Collecting Policy
- 3. How the NLA Obtains Ephemera
- 4. The Collection is used for the Following Trends in Popular Culture
- 5. Strengths of the Collection
- 6. How the NLA Controls the Collection
- 7. How the NLA Stores its Collection
- 8. Challenges, Chaos, Ephemera?
- Conclusion
- Bibliography
- Appendix
Abstract
The ephemera collection in the National Library serves as a record of Australian life and social customs, popular culture, national events, and issues of national concern.
It provides a snapshot in time, a peek into an event, a protest rally, an election, a Royal visit, a theatrical performance. Could it be that this nostalgic junk we call ephemera has value after all? How is the National Library treating its growing collection? Is there a future in collecting ephemera? Does anybody use it now?
What do the Sydney Olympics, the new millennium and Federation celebrations have to do with ephemera? What is ephemera anyway?
Introduction
Ephemera is material that you are likely to glance at once or twice and then throw away. It includes brochures, pamphlets, theatre programs, invitations, handbills, leaflets, fliers, press releases, menus, trade catalogues and junk mail, the list can go on and on.
It is avidly collected by libraries, collectors and public, private and academic institutions.
There are clubs to join, magazines to read and seminars to attend, all on the subject of collectibles and ephemera.
Social historians, students of popular culture, authors, artists, the media and all sorts of information gatherers, use this primary resource collection held in the National Library.
In this presentation I will explain the value of ephemera, the National Librarys collecting policy, how the material is obtained, what it is used for, the strengths of the collection, and how it is managed.
1. Ephemera Consists of...
1.1 Minor Everyday Documents
Ephemera arrives at your home daily. It consists of every day documents you usually read, retain briefly and then discard. For example trade catalogues, real estate brochures and notices of community events. It is left in your letterbox, unless you have that popular sign No Junk Mail Please. It can arrive in your newspaper, email, or found stuck under your windscreen. It can be picked up at various community locations such as a health clinic, shopping centre, fair or library.
1.2 Informative Documents Intended for Short Term Use
Coloured bits of paper stuck on the fridge, notices, pamphlets, invitations, catalogues, programs and even tickets are intended for short term use. These bits of paper are informative documents not intended to be of lasting significance or value. Once the sale, meeting, special occasion or theatre performance is over the documentation is usually discarded. Some people however, hoard their mementos in a cardboard box and put them away for another day. Some of those cardboard boxes reveal treasures from our past printed heritage that normally would disappear with time.
2. NLAS Collecting Policy
2.1 It is a Selective Policy
Print and electronic ephemera is collected on a selective basis as a record of Australian social life, customs, popular culture, national events, and issues of national concern. The collection consists of items that fall outside traditional sources collected by libraries and used by researchers, but which significantly enrich a view of the past.
2.2 It Selects to a Specified Criteria
The first criterion for selection is that publications have less than 5 pages (although they can be much larger, for example some theatre programs, trade catalogues and travel booklets). Pamphlets, leaflets, handbills, invitations, cards, menus, programs and advertising material like the junk mail found in our letterboxes. The material is usually flimsy, of transient value and comes in a variety of odd shapes and sizes and is regarded as unsuitable for cataloguing.
2.3 Criteria for Selecting Material.
Information content, visual appeal, illustration and design elements, period representation and portraiture are some of the key elements taken into consideration when the Library selects items for the collection. Factual and descriptive information to provide a specimen snapshot in time.
2.4 Types of Material Not Included in the Collection.
The Library does not collect realia, artefacts and 3 dimensional objects unless they are the only items available conveying information of value. For example badges, flags, banners and t-shirts. Recently the library received a miniature wooden cricket bat invitation to the Prime Ministers XI.
The National Librarys Collection development policy is available on the Internet and in printed form.
3. How the NLA Obtains Ephemera
3.1 From Existing Formed Collections
The National Library has in its existing collections a vast amount of ephemera yet to be indexed. For example, the Ferguson collection brought with it a large amount of 18th to 20th century material some of which is still being processed, and the Riley collection, which contains political and trade union material from the first half of the 20th century.
3.2 Daily Intake
Ephemera is sorted and selected from material arriving unsolicited daily in the library, and from the Legal Deposit intake.
3.3 Collecting in Person and Requesting
Library staff members also collect material whilst travelling, attending functions, rallies and protests or bring in their junk mail. Occasionally staff request ephemera from publishers or organisations.
3.4 Book Dealers, Auctions and Gift
Retrospective material is purchased from booksellers and auction. Material is donated and taken into the collection as a gift.
4. The Collection is used for the Following Trends in Popular Culture:
4.1 Graphic Design
Ephemera shows graphic design trends over a period in time. For example commercial art styles which have changed over the years in the design and illustration of ladies apparel, Christmas decorations, or kitchen gadgets. The ornate flowery decoration of early 1900 menus and invitations to the simpler, plainer modern equivalents of today also reflect these changes.
4.2 Sociological Trends
Ephemera can indicate sociological trends in communicating. It can follow the flow of events on topical subjects such as Native title, gun control, and issues such as GST, Y2K, IVF and discrimination.
4.3 Availability and costing of consumer goods
Trade catalogues describe and illustrate items for sale, usually with prices. They also point to consumer trends and the psychology of selling.
4.4 An Exhibit
Ephemera provides illustrative material for exhibition. The library lends material from the collection to other institutions to enhance their exhibitions, especially those with social and popular culture themes. The NLA usually has ephemera on exhibition in its showcases, for example at the moment it has exhibitions on the Sydney Theatre from 1890 to 1910, the Year of the Older Persons, New Acquisitions including Shipping Ephemera, Federation Invitations and Travel Posters accompanied with travel ephemera.
4.5 Recording Events
The collection provides information not obtained elsewhere on a national organisation, association, events, such as political rallies, protests and demonstrations, place or theatrical presentation which can be from a rock concert to grand opera. It is often the only surviving record of an event, meeting, rally, or commemorative dinner.
4.6 Reproductions
Material from the collection is reproduced in monographs and serials. There has been an increase in this area with the renewed interest in popular culture.
5. Strengths of the Collection
5.1 Social issues
Strengths of the Librarys collection lie in social issues such as AIDS, and Native Title, issues of public debate like euthanasia. Information about groups and movements which characterise current trends in Australian society such as socio-medical issues, for example mens health, political movements, gambling and social groups.
5.2 Elections
Federal election material covering 1901-1998, features strongly in the Librarys collection. Library staff are encouraged to bring in election material from their letter boxes and all candidates are contacted for requested material. Materials received concerned with local and State elections are forwarded to the appropriate State or Territory library.
5.2 Performing Arts
Performing Arts material including programs is collected in sufficient depth to give a broad, representative coverage of the history of Australian theatre and allied performing arts.
5.3 National Events
International and national events such as Olympic Games, Federation celebrations, 50th Anniversary of the Snowy Mountains Scheme, Royal visits, protest meetings, national industrial disputes and the republican debate are included in the collection.. The Library concentrates its efforts on materials that are national in focus, to avoid duplicating the efforts of the State libraries and corporate collectors.
5.4 Trade Catalogues
There is a growing collection in the trade section, especially with trade catalogues and pamphlets covering diverse subject areas as tourist trade, infant supplies and undertakers and undertaking..
5.5 Collecting Priorities for the Future
Collecting priorities for 1999-2000 have been identified as the Olympics 2000, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander material, popular culture, the republican debate and constitutional referendum, Centenary of Federation and Year of the older person.
6. How the NLA Controls the Collection
The ephemera collection is divided into two sections, the General Files and PROMPT (Performing Arts), Files.
6.1 General
The general file is divided into 4 sections and consists of
6.1.1 General subjects files
The general subject collection consists of files under headings of a general nature. Headings in the general files thesaurus are created as the collection dictates. They are primarily based on Library of Congress Subject Headings and APAIS subject headings. For example some headings in this category are the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Carpentry, Food, Natural resources and the Supernatural.
6.1.2 Trade files
This file contains material (mostly trade catalogues), which aims to reflect a history of products and services in Australia. A thesaurus is used to index trade material using headings from the Australian Industrial Relations Thesaurus, APAIS and Library of Congress Subject Headings. Some examples of headings used in the trade files are Banking industry, Clothing trade, Manufacturing industries, Poultry industry and Wool industry.
6.1.3 Geographic files
The Geographic file contains material on regions, districts, towns, cities, some land features, and tourist attractions. A geographic thesaurus is used to index this material and has been constructed as the collection dictates, using headings from Australia : Dewey Decimal Classification area tables index.
6.1.4 Programs and invitations files
Items in the programs and invitations file are kept for their information content and social interest. Items in this category are filed under names of specific events, organisations, people, places and general types of events. Some examples are Agricultural shows, Embassy and Vice-Regal functions and Royal visits. Some of the material in this collection is highly decorative, unique and rather beautiful.
6.2 PROMPT Files
6.2.1 The collection consists of material relating to professional productions performed in Australia, including overseas performers, and Australians performing overseas. It includes material on Australian performers, playwrights, productions, venues and organisations such as NIDA
6.2.2 Types of material include cast sheets, flyers, handbills, press cuttings, reviews etc, press releases, programs, subscription brochures and some tickets. Different editions of the same program for the same show are collected. A lot of this material is obtained retrospectively
6.2.3 So far 1,500 catalogue entries, for companies and individuals are available on the OPAC. The NLA website also contains Finding Aids, which are lists of significant holdings for selected individuals, companies and entrepreneurs. These include examples are Barrie Humphries, JC Williamson Opera Programs and Australian TV Soap Opera Stars in UK Pantomimes.
6.2.4 The PROMPT files are arranged into one alphabetical sequence arranged by name of company, individual performer or entrepreneur. The J.C. Williamson files form a significant part of the collection
6.2.5 Access to the PROMPT collection is by catalogue entry on the NLA OPAC, (which is available on the Web).
7. How the NLA Stores its Collection
7.1 The NLAs General Ephemera collection is currently housed in 19 data file cabinets each with 5 shelves housing approximately 170,000 items in manilla folders. The performing arts collection consists of approximately 95,000 items housed in 1226 archival boxes.
7.2 Ephemera is sorted into categories and then indexed using the thesaurus or sorted according to PROMPT categories. The heading is usually pencilled on the back top right hand corner of the item, sometimes with a qualifier such as date or state. It is then stamped with NLA date stamp, arranged in alphabetical order and filed, usually in manilla folders. Theatre material is not written on nor stamped. Fragile items are placed in labelled mylar pockets.
7.3 Some electronic ephemera, such as 1998 Australian Federal Election Campaign and popular music, is archived using headings taken from the NLA ephemera thesaurus. These archives are located on the National Library homepage under the PANDORA archive. Titles appearing under the PANDORA archive with the qualification Australian Internet Sites are classified as electronic ephemera.
8. Challenges, Chaos, Ephemera?
8.1 Collecting
Collecting the broad spectrum of ephemera is often difficult as much of the material is not readily available. On the other hand it is not unusual to be flooded with material in the daily intake.
8.2 Selecting, Sorting and Indexing
Selecting from the sheer volume of the daily intake is a mammoth task. After selection using NLA collecting policy guidelines, ephemera is sorted and indexed. The indexer must keep in mind at all times how the material is most likely to be sought after.
8.3 Staffing
Because the NLA is a large institution, it has taken advantage of its staffing numbers to utilise the expertise of many to handle the ephemera collection. This allows for offline work, multi skilling, shared rosters and some use of volunteers and students. The collection is controlled by a senior librarian, (Senior Professional Officer Grade C), and managed by an Australian Public Service Officer Grade 4. Shared rostered duties for indexing & filing are carried out by APS 2s & 3s from other areas in Technical Services. Librarians are consulted for new headings and organising the thesaurus and upgrading categories. Volunteers and or students are involved with special projects that otherwise would not be done, for example further dividing already existing categories. Petherick Reading Room staff assist clients searching and supervise closely the handling of material. Stack attendants file new items. NLA is a closed access library, therefore stack attendants also retrieve and refile requested loan material.
8.4 Preservation
Preservation is a challenge with ephemera, because of the physical nature of the material, as it can be large, small, flimsy, or oddly shaped. Some items are old, rare and valuable, brittle, some come in 3 dimension, are made of plastic, metal, silk, lace, wood and need to be handled with great care. All staff identify items which require special handling and it is forwarded to the preservation section for treatment.
8.5 Access and security
To access the Ephemera collection readers must obtain a reading ticket to the Petherick Reading Room. Readers search the OPAC and use the ephemera thesaurus to locate suitable subject headings for their search. A call slip is used to request items. Ephemera is delivered to the client in subject folders or boxes, not as individual items. The material must be opened and perused on tables under supervision of duty Petherick Reading Room staff. Permission must be sought to photocopy and normal copyright rules apply. Ephemera is not security tagged.
Conclusion
Ephemera : Is It Really Just Nostalgic Junk?
In this session I have outlined the benefits, challenges and chaos of collecting ephemera in the National Library. I hope you know have some idea of what ephemera is, why, how, and who collects it, who uses it, and of course to whom it has value.
I have shown you that ephemera is truly wonderful stuff, and its value to provide a snapshot in time of how we really are. Projecting into the future our collection will give people in the new millennium a look back at what we did, meetings we went to, what and where we ate, books we read, how much we paid for goods and what some of the quaint old computers and mobile phones looked like. They will also see first hand the cars we drove, popular house colours, and toys children dreamed about.
I would like to thank National Library staff who assisted in the preparation of this paper, and hope this session provokes some thought about collecting ephemera in your institution.
Bibliography
National Library of Australia 1999,Collection development policy, Canberra.
Nugent, Ann. 1994, Ephemera : a lasting transience, National Library of Australia News, February.
Stone, Richard. 1997, Junk as heritage : the collecting of printed ephemera on a national scale, The Library Lecture, James Cook University, Townsville, September 4 1997, http://nla.gov.au//nla/staffpaper/acquire.html
Stone, Richard. 1998, Junk mail: printed ephemera and the preservation of the everyday, JAS, no. 58.
Stone, Richard. 1998, Retaining any vigorous life: perceptions of ephemerality in performing arts resources, Museum National, vol. 6, no. 4.
Stone, Richard, {1997}, Taming everyday chaos: perceptions of printed ephemera, Archives & the everyday, Canberra.
Australian printed Ephemera Collection
http://nla.gov.au/collect/ephemera.html
Australian Performing Arts (PROMPT) collection
http://www.nla.gov.au/collect/prompt.html
NLA electronic ephemera site
http://pandora.nla.gov.au/. 1
Kinetica catalogue records
General Kinetica 000009215916
Geographic Kinetica 000009215905
Programs and invitations Kinetica
000009215914
PROMPT collection record Kinetica 000009215909
Trade
catalogues Kinetica 000009215913
Commonwealth celebrations 1901 Kinetica
000009834673
Directory of Australian ephemera collections Kinetica
000009193130
Sydney 2000 Olympic Games and the Paralympic Games Kinetica
000013981828
1998 Australian federal election campaign Kinetica
000014513083
Appendix
NLA |
National Library of Australia |
OPAC |
On-line public access catalogue |
PANDORA |
A digital archive preserving and accessing networked documentary resources of Australia |
PROMPT |
A collection of performing arts programs and ephemera in the National Library |
PETHERICK READING ROOM |
A special reading room in the National Library for advanced researchers. It is also used to supervise the handling of vulnerable material. |
1 30 May 2001 - Link to Pandora Archive changed from http://www.nla.gov.au/pandora/archive.html to correct link of http://pandora.nla.gov.au/
