dissertation research

Thursday April 1st, I had a successful day at OHS. I found the references for Werner Printing's award of Ohio Public Printing contract, and each of the dates he was paid / contract. Alas, the company only bid once. So now I need to hunt down the act that gives him income for the Official Roster vol IX.

Also have figures for costs to compose & print pages in 1889.

OHS also has a sample book of Werner Printing - commercial job printing. It won't reproduce, there are no prices, and no date. BUT they have the publication.

Now I need to flesh out the "how I will do this" section of the proposal.

Teaching Spring courses

Teaching goes well. This semester the course is Genealogy & Local History. My 12 enthusiastic students are learning all about how to research the past and present using primary sources. It's one of my favorite courses to teach. In between, I get to teach some short courses. This past weekend I taught students how to search for government documents and information about the workings of our government agencies. An eye opening experience for most of them, especially those who don't follow political activities.

The Dissertation Proposal

I'm currently working on the proposal for my dissertation. I am going to examine the history of a printer in Akron Ohio who had a large, flourishing printing business from 1870 to 1914 with offices throughout the world. He's a typical late 19th century printer and businessman and is almost unknown today. The artwork his presses produce is absolutely gorgeous. I'm having fun putting together the pieces of his business successes and failures. The proposal has to be submitted and accepted before May, so I'm working to put the info together and form arguments as to why I should write this dissertation. Then I can barrel ahead and start really writing.

Winter Break 2009

So the semester is over. It's been quite an amazing experience. First studying for exams, then passing not just all the written exams, but the oral as well. I am still in shock. But time to get out of the haze and start to focus on the last phase of this degree. So this winter break I have three objectives. 1) prepare for the spring semester, that's Genealogy & Local History but only in Kent this year. 2) review materials for the re-writing of my book on Disaster Response for ALA. It's due Dec 2010, so no fooling around. I really need to write a new book, but half a book will do. My goal is to research and write this spring. 3) start the research for my dissertation. I have to find primary sources; identify the type & scope of sources; question to answer; and the all important "why do we care" and "what does this add to the field". Not too much to do between now and the 19th of January.
Tomorrow - syllabus revision and some organizing of my stuff!
Pile the DR stuff in one box, Genealogy in another, RB is a third, Preservation in a 4th, history of libraries in a fifth and oh yes, all the rest in a 6th box. It's certain to be a mess but an organized mess.

Back to work :)

Research / dissertation ideas

Dec 11. I could write about the publishers I have been talking about. But why? who cares?
I have been mulling over the idea of tying the printers in Akron between 1870-1900 into the gilded age industrialists....

Maybe I could look at them the same way I looked at Robber Barons and Cultural Institutions.

Food for thought.

comprehensive exams

Today is Dec 11th. Since my last posting, I took and successfully completed all three written comprehensive exams. Yesterday at 2pm I took and passed my oral comprehensive exams. That was much harder, I was sooooo nervous. It took a while for my brain to get into gear and answer with what I know about each subject. Of course the Russian Empire questions were the 'worst' as I was asked materials I had no answer for. Ah well. It's done and now I am officially ABD.

Now I get to start research on my dissertation. Much to muddle over :)
But first a nap and some celebrating.

two down, one to go

Well, I finished the second comprehensive exam. It's amazing what you know and yet forget to put on the page. :~ Ah well. A shower, some protein, a silly movie, and then on to the next and final written exam. That's right - Monday I describe the theory and practice of the Russian and Spanish empires. I definitely have to write out my answers to these questions.

What an amazing experience.