Where did the Pasadena Digital History Collaboration come from? Did it spring forth fully formed from the head of Zeus? To find out, read the second interview in our ongoing series, starring Martha Camacho from Pasadena Public Library, one of the major players in the project.
Kelli Hines: What is your role within the collaboration?
Martha Camacho: I am one of the project administrators, representing Pasadena Public Library.
KH: How did you get involved?
MC: I was selected for the Eureka Leadership program in California in 2009. The Pasadena Digital History Collaboration is the result of my proposed project for the leadership program and the result of a mini-grant that came along with it. Once I had the idea to create a single access point of Pasadena’s digital images, I worked with Pasadena City College and Pasadena Museum of History to get them on board.
KH: What excites you most about the project?
MC: The communication and collaboration that is going on now among Pasadena cultural institutions. Before, we all existed in our own vacuum. Now more of us are talking, working together, and sharing resources and expertise, including organizations not officially part of the PDHC yet.
KH: What are you most proud of?
MC: The staff and volunteers who are dedicated to seeing the vision come to life.
KH: What has been the most challenging for you?
MC: Finding time to manage the PDHC service with all the other responsibilities we all have. It would be great to have a full-time person who coordinates everything!
KH: How do you create a balance between your other work and the work for the PDHC?
MC: I devote a specific amount of time to the PDHC each week. If I do not accomplish what I want that week, then I put it on the list for the following week. My list continues to grow!
KH: Tell me about a time when you overcame a difficulty in the project.
MC: So far, nothing has been too difficult in my eyes. To tell you the truth, it seems to be going smoothly since all of us are so dedicated to sharing our collections and making them more accessible. The one issue, if I had to choose any, would be the fact that we do not have enough time, staff, and equipment to manage all the volunteers and digitization projects we would like to do.
KH: How do you decide what is most important? What compromises have you had to make in order to get things accomplished?
MC: We all come together to make decisions and prioritize. Each of us has a role or roles that we are responsible for, so that also help us make decisions, stay on top of things, and follow-through. Compromises are needed all the time. We have so many ideas, but never enough time or resources to implement them. Sticking with our goals and doing reality checks helps us prioritize.
KH: Could you give me an example of some specific compromises you've had to make or ideas you've had to set aside because they didn't meet the goals or pass the reality check?
MC: One specific idea that we decided to not do is applying for a ton of grants this year. When we first sat down to discuss grants, we had a list of 7 or 8 that we were considering, but after talking further, we decided it was important to first establish our goals and then find a specific grant or two that truly meets the criteria that we need. I do not really see this as a compromise though, since it works out better for us in the end. We do not have a lot of time to waste, so we have to be strategic and thoughtful about what we do.
KH: How has the collaboration changed or evolved since the beginning?
MC: This year, we will begin to see new partners joining the Collaboration. The first is the Huntington, who joined us last month. I am excited to see the collection grow. Everyone brings a unique, diverse point of view to the collection. It is really making the collection more dynamic and interesting!
KH: What do you wish you had known before starting the collaboration?
MC: How quickly it would take off. We started hearing from organizations interested in being partners very early on, and unfortunately, we cannot keep up with pace for requests to participate.
KH: Is there anything you would have done differently?
MC: No! We all are learning as we go, so everything that happens or does not happen is a learning opportunity.
KH: If you could be granted any one wish for the project, what would you wish for?
MC: To receive a large grant that will allow us to hire a full-time coordinator, create a digitization lab so that we can scan everything for our partners, and continue to work with new organizations. Sorry, I know that was more than one!
KH: Technically, a grant is just one thing, even if you do more than one thing with it. Anyway, you're my supervisor, so I'll let it slide. ;-D
That's all for this time, but stay tuned for more from the PDHC!
