Episode 8

A Day In The Life: Liza Talbot

Episode 8 [ 0.01 MB ]

In iSchoolYou’s fourth installment of the “A Day in the Life of An Information Professional” series, host Eric Cartier goes on location to the Lyndon Baines Johnson Presidential Library with Liza Talbot, the LBJ Library’s digital archivist. In each episode of this series, the iSchool You hosts spend time with an information professional in the community to discuss the specifics of their work to try to get a sense of what an average day is like for a professional in their field.

Disclaimer: We had some problems with the sound in this episode, but the content is so good we still felt our audience would enjoy it. Please bear with us; it improves in the second half.

Liza gives Eric a behind the scenes tour while talking about the features of the LBJ Library and Museum, transparency and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) issues, and the institution’s use of social media.  They first stop in the reading room, where researchers come from all over the world to conduct research on the Vietnam War, the Civil Rights Act, and other topics relevant to President Johnson’s administration.

Liza teaches iSchool You about the White House’s Office of Records Management, the White House Central Files, and the special cataloging system for what Liza calls a “physical type of database,” used to organize vast quantities of records before computer database systems existed. In addition to official documents from the Johnson administration and personal papers, LBJ Library’s holdings also include 99% of all the public mail the president received. Do you think you or a family member wrote to President Johnson? The LBJ Library might be able to find that letter for you!

The tour also takes us down to the basement level of the LBJ Library, where we meet Sarah Cunningham, LBJ Audio Archivist and UT iSchool part-time faculty member. Many of us know Sarah from her very popular class on Audio Preservation and Reformatting.

Liza leaves us with some helpful advice for aspiring archivists.  She says it is “important it is to find an institution that you fit– where you have the institutional values and institutional culture match what you’re coming out with.”

Thanks, Liza, for schooling iSchoolYou!

 

Music heard in this episode composed and performed by Morgan Woolsey.

LBJ Photo Archive: Image 1A-1-WH63

LBJ Photo Archive: Image 1A-1-WH63

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Oval Office Replica at LBJ Library and Museum. Photo by J. Sedj

Oval Office Replica at LBJ Library and Museum. Photo by J. Sedj

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The room where researchers can explore LBJ Library's audio visual materials

The room where researchers can explore LBJ Library’s audio visual materials

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The coffee-stained memo Liza Talbot mentions. Cross reference, Memo, Federal Bureau of Investigation, 7/1/64, Ex HU 2/ST 24, WHCF, Box 26, LBJ Library

The coffee-stained memo Liza Talbot mentions. Cross reference, Memo, Federal Bureau of Investigation, 7/1/64, Ex HU 2/ST 24, WHCF, Box 26, LBJ Library

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Lady Bird recording her diary: Serial number D2440-8a. 11/15/1968, White House. Lady Bird Johnson recording the day's events. Public domain.

Lady Bird recording her diary: Serial number D2440-8a. 11/15/1968, White House. Lady Bird Johnson recording the day’s events. Public domain.

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Swearing in of Lyndon B. Johnson as President. Larry O'Brien is on the far left of the frame. Public domain. Serial number 1A-11-WH63, Air Force One. 11/22/63.

Swearing in of Lyndon B. Johnson as President. Larry O’Brien is on the far left of the frame. Public domain. Serial number 1A-11-WH63, Air Force One. 11/22/63.

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Liza Talbot at her desk on the archives staff floor of LBJ Library and Museum

Guest Liza Talbot at her desk on the archives staff floor.

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Photo card for image A5290-09. Filed in the photo card subject file Animals/Dogs/Yuki. The photo cards were created during the Johnson administration: many contain errors in the serial number and/or the descriptions. Public domain.

Photo card for image A5290-09. Filed in the photo card subject file Animals/Dogs/Yuki. The photo cards were created during the Johnson administration: many contain errors in the serial number and/or the descriptions. Public domain.

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Photo card for images A4564-23 and A5290-09. Both filed in the photo card subject file Animals/Dogs/Yuki. The photo cards were created during the Johnson administration: many contain errors in the serial number and/or the descriptions. Public domain.

Photo card for images A4564-23 and A5290-09. Both filed in the photo card subject file Animals/Dogs/Yuki. The photo cards were created during the Johnson administration: many contain errors in the serial number and/or the descriptions. Public domain.

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LBJ Library's Watergate Panel that host Eric Cartier references in this episode. From left to right, Robert Redford, Bob Woodward, Carl Bernstein, photo by Jennifer Hecker, Pound Olympic Collection Archivist, UT iSchool alumna MLIS 2001

LBJ Library’s Watergate Panel that host Eric Cartier references in this episode. From left to right, Robert Redford, Bob Woodward, Carl Bernstein, photo by Jennifer Hecker, Pound Olympic Collection Archivist, UT iSchool alumna MLIS 2001

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As mentioned by Liza, President Johnson recorded many of his telephone conversations on dictabelt.

As mentioned by Liza, President Johnson recorded many of his telephone conversations on dictabelt.

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The LBJ Animatron entertains museum visitors with jokes and stories.

The LBJ Animatron entertains museum visitors with jokes and stories.

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Lettering on the side of the LBJ Library and Museum Building.

Lettering on the side of the LBJ Library and Museum Building.

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A view of the archives as seen from the museum's grand hall.

A view of the archives as seen from the museum’s grand hall.

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Lady Bird Johnson was a life-long advocate for wildlfowers and nature.

Lady Bird Johnson was a life-long advocate for wildlfowers and nature.

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Since acquiring digital cameras for researcher use in the reading room, LBJ Library has seen significant decrease in photocopy requests.

Since acquiring digital cameras for researcher use in the reading room, LBJ Library has seen significant decrease in photocopy requests.

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This statue, installed in the summer of 2011, provides a photo opporunity for museum visitors.

This statue, installed in the summer of 2011, provides a photo opporunity for museum visitors.

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One Response

  1. Gorilla Trek says:
    November 1, 2011 at 12:41 pm

    I enjoy reading your work especially that i am an Information Technology student. I find in quite enlightening, how can i get access to video or audio episodes or is is limited to a chosen few? Thanks.

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