Sigma Alpha Iota

PAN PIPES Fall 2019 15 covers the fundamentals of appraising materials for research value, principles for arrangement and description, best practices for providing access to archival content, and baseline preservation measures and resources. e overall goal is to end up with collections that are findable, accessible, and housed in an environment that's as environmentally stable and secure as possible. Preservation-wise, this entails being aware of temperature and humidity levels and being mindful of the boxes and enclosures used for storage so that the containers don't interact with the contents in ways that could accelerate their degradation. ere's actually a lot of chemistry and detective work involved in more specialized preservation and conservation work due to the wide range of material types that can be found in archives, both physical and digital. On the physical side, this can mean everything from knowing what kinds of inks or adhesives comprise an item and how they're known to interact over time, to how to clean and/or restore deteriorated items, as well as how to respond to mold outbreaks and/or bug infestations. Do you interact with any of the performers or attendees at the Kennedy Center? Most of my interactions to date are with fellow staff members and occasionally the general public, though we're not really fully open for "business" yet and can only answer limited research questions. I inherited limited documentation and our holdings are physically spread across multiple locations, so there's a lot of catching up to do with nearly 50 years of history to inventory and organize! Are items from the archives used in displays, and if so, are you involved in that process? ere's an online history display that predates me with scanned photos and documents I think we have in the Archives, but for the most part no, we haven't gotten to full blown exhibits yet. at usually comes a little later in the founding process, since it's challenging to research thematically when you don't have a good handle on the whole of what's been collected. I anticipate curating displays, virtual and physical, closer to the 50 th anniversary year (2021). Have you found any items yet at the Kennedy Center that you've found particularly interesting or considered special? I think there's a lot of potential, but it's honestly a little early to tell – it's all a treasure trove at this point! We definitely have a lot of great photographs from historic performances and of major figures. We're fortunate to have a fairly extensive collection of playbills and press files. I'm really looking forward to digging in and getting to know more! — Christine Bruns, Editor, PAN PIPES HISTORY For more information about the Kennedy Center, visit: www.kennedy-center.org The Sigma Alpha Iota Archives The Student Life and Culture Archives (SLC) at the University of Illinois became the repository for Sigma Alpha Iota's national records in 1997. Archived materials include scrapbooks and yearbooks from over 25 local chapters, convention materials, national office correspondence and subject files, photographs of prominent members and honorary members, national service projects, and PAN PIPES. Files are divided into three different categories: 1) Sigma Alpha Iota National Office Correspondence and Subject Files — SAI records (1904-98, 2005) including by-laws and constitutions, correspondence, history, composer biographies and photographs, historical files on Mac Dowell Colony, files on Braille services and Bold Note projects, scrapbooks, invitations, and artifacts, concerning awards and scholarships, conventions, fraternity education, music philanthropic projects and SAI Philanthropies, provinces, the Inter-American Music Awards Series, honorary membership, and National Headquarters dedication. 2) Sigma Alpha Iota Chapter Files — SAI Chapter Files (1903-2008) including minutes and reports, correspondence, chapter by-laws, scrapbooks, publicity materials and publications, ledger, signature and account books, membership records, yearbooks, and artifacts from SAI collegiate and alumnae chapters. 3) Sigma Alpha Iota Publications — SAI Publications (1924-) containing brochures, directories, pledge and member manuals, prospectuses, songbooks, and the fraternity journal, PAN PIPES (1926- ). Also includes vocal, choral, and instrumental scores from the Inter-American Music Awards sponsored by SAI. The physical archives are located in the Horticulture Field Laboratory Archives Research Center at the University of Illinois in Urbana, IL. Please visit the online database for detailed information on the contents of the Sigma Alpha Iota Archives: https://archives.library.illinois.edu/slc/ collections/national-fraternity-collections/sai/ The Kennedy Center 's Inaugural Program and concert recording from the Archives.

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