Behind the Curtain is a series highlighting IU Archives staff, partners from various departments of the IU Libraries, and students who make all of our work possible. In this post, we highlight one of our most recent staff additions, Digital Archivist Dinah Miles!
What is your title and role in the IU Libraries?
I am a Digital Archivist in the University Archives.
What is your educational background?
I have a B.A. in French from the University of Wyoming and an M.L.S. from Simmons University.
Tell us about your previous work experience.
In graduate school I was lucky enough to pick up a web archiving gig for Boston Art Review magazine; that’s what got me interested in the digital side of the archives profession. After finishing my degree, I started a digital archivist position in my hometown of Laramie, Wyoming at UW’s American Heritage Center. After a few years, I made the move to Bloomington and started in my current position.
How do you work or partner with the IU Archives?
I handle exclusively digital material in the University Archives. My work presents a unique set of challenges—digital files require specialized tools and processes, and I’ve had to do a lot of exploring to figure out what we’re capable of, what we’re lacking, and how to build a system to take care of our material as best as possible.
Do you have a favorite experience (or something you’re most proud of) from working with the IU Archives?
I recently toured the IU Data Center and had a fantastic time learning about how our archived data gets stored, backed up, and protected. That said, I’ve only been on the job for a few months and I’m sure the best is yet to come.
Favorite item or collection in the IU Archives?
The Union Board records. There’s a “Live from Bloomington” series of student-produced albums featuring local bands from the 1990s-2000s that are available to listen to online. I had a ton of fun listening to those while working with the collection.
What project are you currently working on?
I’m working my way through quite a backlog. This position was vacant for a few years before I came onboard so there’s quite a bit of material waiting to be processed and made discoverable.
What’s something you’ve learned working at the archives that you’ll take forward into your future career?
Archivists need the confidence to try new methods and shake things up. It’s a lot more helpful to take a stab at a project or task and learn from the experience than to wait until you think you can do it perfectly.
What’s next for you?
I’m looking forward to getting involved in digital preservation initiatives across campus. There are a few big projects in the works that I’m excited to take part in. It’ll also be great to meet other information professionals from around the state and collaborate!