When thinking of physical archives, one may often imagine a cramped and stuffy room tucked into the back corner of a dark basement hiding shelves overflowing with old books and fragile documents. That may not be far off considering many libraries have spent the past decade digitizing their archives, rendering physical copies unnecessary. The age of digitization has made it possible to easily record and archive a myriad of new mediums, including living work.

Second-year Master’s of Science in Information student, Laura Miller, spent her semester working on The Portal Project. Created by consultant Cori Olinghouse, The Portal Project is a living archives initiative dedicated to the transmission of performance through archival and curatorial frameworks. Olinghouse collaborated with Assistant Professor in FSU’s School of Dance, Gwen Welliver, to survey the physical materials that have emerged from her rehearsal and performance videos, choreographic scores, and process notes, drawings, and writings. Miller volunteered to work on the project, joining Welliver as her archiving assistant.

Miller’s job is to record the cataloging information for various materials in the archive and provide subject expertise where she can in regards to metadata and storage principles. Miller graduated from FSU with a B.S. in Studio Art, so this project appeals to her creative nature. “It has been a pleasure to collaborate with a working artist and see how her practice and teaching have evolved throughout her archive,” says Miller about Welliver’s work.

Assisting on this project helped Miller gain valuable experience working with archival material and metadata. “Coordinating with Cori Olinghouse, Professor Welliver’s archivist in New York, has been very educational regarding living archives and preserving various print materials and works on paper,” she explains. “Professor Welliver’s archive has been a great introduction to the concept because of the breadth of material she has produced throughout her career. It is so rewarding to see how this archive will evolve and grow as Professor Welliver continues to make work, conduct research, and share her wisdom with students.”

Although Miller was unfamiliar with living archives before this project, she credits her MSI classes by providing her necessary background knowledge on how to record and organize project metadata. Miller is looking forward to next semester where she will continue to help Professor Welliver and Olinghouse with the archives.