In these two weeks my project was to inventory a large collection of research files containing notes, photographs, and other paper materials from Robert Wolensky. He did research at the Anthracite Heritage Museum while writing a book about the coal mining industry in Northeastern Pennsylvania.

Due to the sheer size of the collection, this took me quite a few days to complete. I cataloged each individual folder and its contents. The collection included photographs, notes, book pages, newspaper clippings, photograph negatives, film, and more. I detailed what each folder included and the subject matter in the inventory list so that later on, should someone request to see a specific part of Wolensky’s collection, it can be easily located.

Much of the information in the collection revolved around the Knox Mine Disaster and similar accidents that occured at other mines. It covered the incident itself, the legal proceedings after, and the memory of the disaster today.

I enjoyed seeing how what the collection at the Anthracite Heritage Museum had to offer and how it was used in Wolensky’s research. It reiterates the importance of collections and collections care, and also demonstrates how useful collections can be when doing research.