Preserving Labrador's history, Them Days magazine seeks archivist

Them Days magazine is seeking to preserve a history of Labrador in its archive but right now it lacks the money for an experienced person to do the job.

'We have operated as a non-profit organization on a shoestring for many years,' says volunteer

Jacob Barker · CBC News · Posted: May 10, 2017 9:00 PM EDT | Last Updated: May 11, 2017

Them Days' first edition was put out in August 1975 by initial editor Doris Saunders and was based on audio recordings retired trapper Isaac Rich made of his friends in North West River and Rigolet. (Jacob Barker/CBC)

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

The current small staff does manage to get through some of the material submitted to it but it would 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," Janice Goudie, 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.

One of Them Days' projects is to identify people in their collection of more than 20,000 old photos and negatives. (Jacob Barker/CBC)

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 and began archiving in the 1980s. In 2009 it built a climate-controlled room to 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 only full-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 the archive.

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

Acting editor Janice Goudie shows some donated cartoons marked "found in the skating room of the E.J. Broomfield arena." (Jacob Barker/CBC)

"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 members also 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.

Susan Felsberg was friends with the original editor of Them Days magazine, Doris Saunders, and has been involved with it for over 20 years in many capacities including serving as the chairperson of the board of directors. (Jacob Barker/CBC)

"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

"We have 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."

Boxes of submitted material need to be archived in the back of Them Days' offices. (Jacob Barker/CBC)

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," Goudie said.

"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."

Boxes of tape recordings of interviews over the years are in the back. Goudie says they plan to transcribe them and make them accessible to everybody one day so people can hear the stories as they were told. (Jacob Barker/CBC)

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 is one 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.

In 2009, a climate-controlled archive was added to the back of the Them Days' building, allowing the organization to better preserve its materials. (Jacob Barker/CBC)

"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. A catalogue can be viewed in person at the offices and purchased — people can also head 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 but for that you would need a fourth person."