Preserving Labrador's history, Them Days magazine seeks archivist

There's a a lot of work in the back ofThem Days archives and publications, best known for itsquarterly historical magazine about Labrador.

The current small staffdoes manage to get through some of the material submitted to it but itwould like to find the means and the individual to archive the boxes of history it holds.

"What we have here in the archive is invaluable. We cannot replace most of what's here," JaniceGoudie, acting editor of Them Days, told the CBC. "We are lucky to have it."

But finding the money to pay an archivist is a roadblock.

The roots of Them Days magazine lie in 1973, when retired trapper Isaac Thomas tape-recorded some friends in North West River and Rigolet. Them Days published its first edition in 1975 based on those recordings andbegan archiving in the 1980s. In 2009 it built a climate-controlled roomto its building in Happy Valley-Goose Bay to house its archived material.

"There's amazing things in this room," Goudie said. "There are issues of the Labradorian that go back to 1975. There are glass slides from different collections. We have over 20,000 negatives and photos it just goes on and on."

Goudie is the onlyfull-time staff member along with a part-time administrative worker. The job of creating the content for the quarterly magazine is in addition to sorting through the reams of material submitted to thearchive.

"We're able to do it;it just takes a lot of time," Goudie said.

"We really have to go through it. We have to catalogue it, we have to document it and then we have to make sure that it's appropriately filed in the right type of file and taken care of."

Overwhelming

Volunteers and board membersalso do some of the work of sorting and categorizing the piles of material, but the need for an experienced archivist is becoming more and more clear.

"It has become the significant centre of Labrador materials and we have more materials arriving every day from other sources," said Susan Felsberg.

It's a work in progress.It always will be.- Susan Felsberg

She has been involved with the magazine in various capacities for over 20 years, but no longer sits on the board.

"It's almost reaching a point of being overwhelming in terms of actual physical books, records, papers, tapes and so much else," Felsberg said.

"I don't want to put down the situation there because everyone is very active and contributes a huge amount but we do need an adequately trained capable archivist-type person, somebody who's really got an organizational type of mind."

Searching for funding and ideas

"Wehave operated as a non-profit organization on a shoestring for many years," Felsberg said.

"The essential provincial government support has been the backbone of our funding each year but of course each year we wait for the budget and feel like we might be under threat."

The magazine also has a subscriber base which consists of hundreds of people who pay for a subscription. While it is in the market for an archivist, how to pay for it isn't clear.

"We have got a little bit of funding to do some work back here but not enough funding for a core position," Goudiesaid.

"So if anyone has an idea of where we can access some funding or ways we may be able to maintain a position even on a temporary basis, we're certainly keen on having those discussions."

At one point in the past, the magazine did have advertising but the decision was made to remove it. It will occasionally put out a special edition which have led to funding and sponsorships in the past as well. Summer student positions are currently open, which isone way the magazine is able to get some of its work done.

"But that's not adequate for the full-time job and skills that we really really need," Felsberg said.

Little magazine, big world

The magazine is only available to order by print right now and does reach a certain audience outside of Newfoundland and Labrador as well but there's also the job of getting the word out about the magazine.

"Where should we turn next for another sales point? It all takes the effort of the staff," Felsberg said.

"It all takes time, skills of salesmanship."

A certain amount of photographs have been digitized. Acatalogue can be viewed in person at the offices and purchased people can alsohead there to read and research.

Getting into the virtual sphere of things, however,represents another challenge for the organization.

"It's a work in progress.It always will be," Felsberg said. "You would look rather decrepit if you didn't make such facilities [as digitization]available butfor that you would need a fourth person."