Overview of the Apple Inc. Records in the Stanford Archives

October 13, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Since we should always strive to challenge ourselves, here’s something new. This is my first screencast tutorial which gives an overview of the Apple Inc. collection at Stanford University. You don’t have to be affiliated with Stanford to access the library. You can visit up to 7 times in a 12-month period.

The Online Archive of California features collections from repositories around the state, so it’s definitely worth checking out, even if you don’t live here. Many places offer ways to do research remotely, whether it means some items are online or you may be able to order copies or digital images. My workplace, the Hoover Archives, are on the OAC too. :)

Let me know if you have any questions about using the OAC or doing research at Stanford. Cheers!

Filed Under: Apple/Tech, Archives Tagged With: , ,

The Online Archive of California, Your Golden Gateway

September 23, 2011 by 1 Comment

The Online Archive of California (OAC) is one of the largest digital archives in the world. The site hosts the descriptions, and sometimes the digitized primary source materials, from over 200 universities, libraries and archives in California. That’s massive!

The Golden Gate Bridge, Credit: Nick Siekierski

I know the OAC through my work in the Hoover Archives. The descriptions of Hoover’s collections are on the OAC and of the roughly 6,000 collections we have, about 1,200 of them have finding aids.

Finding aids are descriptions of collections that vary in the amount of detail they provide. A box list is one form of fining aid which simply lists a general, box by box, description of the contents. A detailed finding aid will organize subject matter by type (eg. bibliographic file, correspondence, speeches and writings, etc.) and which vary based on the collection. Within sections there will be individual folders, the contents of which are also described in a line or two.

Since online finding aids are keyword searchable, researchers can run searches on any number of keywords and find useful material. Many of the people that contact the Hoover Archives reach the OAC through a Google search for someone’s name. When that person’s name appears in a collection description, (perhaps as the title of the collection, eg. Joseph Stilwell papers) Google factors it into their search results.

The OAC even has a number of digitized items that you can see from your computer. When browsing through the collections, the ones that have an eye  icon have digital materials to view. The 1906 San Francisco Earthquake and Fire Digital Collection has photos of the damage to San Francisco and the surrounding areas from the earthquake and its aftermath.

Give it a try. Search for some keywords that interest you and see what turns up. I’ll go into greater detail on search techniques in a future post.

I think the OAC is a great introduction to how to search an archive. Other repositories around the world might organize their collections in different ways, but the underlying principles are the same. Give it a shot and let me know what you think.

Have a good weekend!

 

Filed Under: Archives, Resources Tagged With: , ,

Steve Jobs and Apple Archives at Stanford

September 16, 2011 by Leave a Comment

It looks like the wait is almost over for the iPhone 5, and none too soon since my 3G is almost done, time for an upgrade!

Apple is now competing with Exxon to be the most valuable company in the world. When Apple was founded in 1976, it would have been hard to believe the great success that awaited the company 35 years later.

I read a great article recently about the company records of Apple and Steve Jobs at Stanford University. This is just one of the fascinating collections in the Stanford Silicon Valley Archives. The largest collection of materials on Silicon Valley history in the world.

Over the decades Apple has had its ups and downs, but the driving force behind its success has indisputably been Steve Jobs. His retirement as the CEO of Apple came as huge news in the tech and business world last month and he will be impossible to replace.

In the Apple archive there are company documents from its earliest years. Orders for dozens and hundreds of Mac computers as opposed to the millions of units they are selling today. One letter in the collection comments on Steve’s inexperience. Photos in the collection show Steve as laid back and casual, not wearing shoes at a board meeting in 1988, but we know that he was more driven to succeed than any CEO in the modern era.

As delicious as it looks. Credit: Nick Siekierski

Here is the Youtube video about the article. (look for the Hoover Tower in the first shot)

Also, here is the video of Steve Jobs’ Stanford commencement speech in 2005. It’s one of the most inspirational speeches of its type that you’ll ever hear. (Many thanks to a good friend for recommending it to me several years ago.)

It’s Aloha Friday!

 

Filed Under: Apple/Tech, Archives Tagged With: , , , ,