Continued Border Heritage Series II Subjects Newspaper Clippings Inventory - 2JUN2025 1000-1800

Project: Continued Border Heritage Subjects Newspaper Clippings Inventory

Name: Jessica Campbell

Supervisor: Claudia Romero

Date: June 2, 2025

Time: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM 

Project: Border Heritage Subjects Newspaper Clippings Inventory

Today, I began work on a special subproject involving ten boxes of clippings pre-selected by the Historical Society, which include materials from both the Peoples and Subjects series. These boxes were separated from the main basement wall collection and required immediate rehousing for preservation purposes. I rehoused all ten into archival-quality boxes and labeled them Box 1 through Box 10, preserving their original folder order while clearly documenting each box's contents. These materials covered a broad range of topics such as Providence Memorial Hospital, El Paso murals, KEPO-TV, Helen of Troy, San Elizario Historical Society, and Downtown Development initiatives. Some boxes included mixed content with individuals and topical subjects grouped together, which I preserved in the order received to retain provenance and original context. I carefully documented titles, date ranges (1940s–1996), and subject types on both the boxes themselves and in the accompanying inventory list. This ensured clarity for future researchers and archival staff when accessing these unique selections.

In addition to the special ten-box project, I continued the systematic inventory of the main Subject Clippings Collection, completing boxes SC 28 through SF 11. I recorded folder titles, subject themes, and inclusive dates, noting particularly rich content areas like education, health services, urban renewal, and cultural festivals. Some folders contained fragile or deteriorating clippings, which I flagged for potential conservation review. I also identified inconsistencies between box labels and contents, which I plan to verify with the supervisor. This dual-tracked day—balancing preservation rehousing and detailed inventory—gave me a strong sense of the complexity and depth of this archive. I’m gaining increased appreciation for the thoughtful decisions archivists make when preserving mixed and legacy materials, especially when older systems of categorization are involved. I’m looking forward to finishing the SF series and continuing with the remaining subject boxes in the days ahead.

Tasks Completed:

• Inventoried and rehoused Boxes 1–10 containing Peoples / Subjects clippings pre-selected by the Historical Society from the Newspaper Clippings Series.
• Rehoused contents into archival-quality boxes, clearly labeled and stabilized for preservation.
• Topics in these boxes include:
  • Providence Memorial Hospital, Schools, EP Murals, Helen of Troy, KEPO-TV, San Elizario Historical Society, Downtown Development, and more.
• Conducted detailed inventory of Subject Clippings Boxes SC 28 – SF 11.
• Recorded titles, subject matter, and date ranges (spanning from 1940s–1996) for each box.

In Progress:

• Inventory of additional Subject Clippings (boxes SF 12 onward) to be completed in the coming days.
• Final review of historically pulled boxes for verification.