The Well-Tempered String Quartet was published in Germany in 1936 and in the United States in 1938. The book’s title may remind the thoughtful reader of the title of Johann Sebastian Bach’s eighteenth-century collection of preludes and fugues, The Well-Tempered Clavier. The reader would be correct in drawing such comparisons, as stated in the Translator’s Note: “The ‘Well-tempered’ of the English version was chosen after much deliberation, for its manifold appropriate implications, and with a thought of homage to the Father of Music and his ‘Forty-eight.'” The book begins with descriptions of the joys of playing music, and potential ways in which a string quartet might come into being. The authors playfully remark upon readers’ potential doubts regarding the formation of string quartets, before reminding readers that all members of string quartets must meet one another somehow. Next are various descriptions of the temperaments that could be expected in each of the members of the quartet (a cellist, violist, and two violinists). Notably, each member of the quartet has somewhat of a secret ambition to be the star of the group. The authors have a great deal of fun elaborating on the likely personalities of string quartet members, before finally bringing readers to the conclusion that while each player may have a pet ambition, their strengths and weaknesses complement one another. The authors go on to discuss at length practice techniques, performance tips, and ways to deal with various quartet-related problems that may arise (what to do if a member is absent, for example). This book is surprisingly cheerful and humorous, and provides quite a few interesting and/or useful suggestions for musicians who have any interest in quartet-playing. Source: Aulich, Bruno and Ernst Heimeran. The Well-Tempered String Quartet. Trans. D. Millar Craig. New York: The H.W. Gray Co., Inc., 1938. Print.

The Black Hills flood of June 9, 1972 is of particular interest to the author of this post, being a native of Rapid City. The unusually heavy rainfall that caused the flood and the death and destruction it left behind make it one of the state’s worst-ever natural disasters. While exploring the Black Hills books that are part of the Chilson Collection, I came across one entitled The Black Hills Flood of June 9, 1972: A Historical Document, edited by Douglas M. Newlin. After doing a little research in library catalogs, I learned that copies of this book can also be found on the public shelves of I.D. Weeks Library, as well as in the Rapid City Public Library. The book contains many reports that detail actions taken by citizens on the night of the flood, as well as in the days and weeks that followed. Content of the reports varies; personal experiences, emergency procedures, telephone and electrical company reports, and descriptions of outreach are just several examples of the large amount of information contained in this book. In addition to the many reports, the book features numerous photographs of the destruction left behind by the flood. There are also some really interesting before and after photographs of the Canyon Lake area. Books such as this one serve to provide detailed information about such devastating disasters, as stated in the dedication of the book: “It is the hope that reading the events and the happenings in this book, will bring an understanding to those around the world, of the need to be prepared for any disaster that can happen, for it can happen.” Check out the Rapid City Public Library’s flood website here: http://www.rapidcitylibrary.org/lib_info/1972Flood/index.asp The Digital Library of South Dakota also has some flood images: http://dlsd.sdln.net/cdm4/browse.php?CISOROOT=/1972

One of my projects here with the South Dakota Oral History Project (SDOHP) of the I.D. Weeks Library is creating oral history transcripts. We have thousands of digitized interviews, and with the rise of awareness concerning accessibility, we are on a path to transcribing those interviews. This will not only help with accessibility, but also with citations since the syntax has already been edited for consumption. It is important for me to have a process in everything I do, so in hopes that others will begin interviewing, recording, and transcribing, I am going to share my personal transcription process. Currently, we use OtterAI to create an initial transcription, though much editing must be done to preserve meaning, voice, and general cohesiveness. At a minimum, I listen to the interview an even six times. Each step describes what I do during that listen-through. Properly Identify Speakers Become Familiar with their Individualized Speech Patterns OtterAI isn’t perfect, and one of the areas it exposes its imperfections is in identifying speakers. As you listen, you will become familiar not only with the speakers’ voices, but also with how they speak. For example, in SDOHP1491, Emil Jerke (the interviewee) is bilingual. More than this, Jerke is a storyteller who focuses on small examples to give the listener a bigger picture. He uses asides to give context and works through memory and language to get to the heart of what he means. Correct Words and Fix Minor Grammatical Errors Highlight Unclear Words It would be quite difficult to correct all grammatical errors on the first or second listen-through so it is important to focus on what can be fixed quickly here. Rather than trying to insert all asides and false starts, fix capitalization and end punctuation errors. Essentially, fix what grammatical errors you can without stopping the tape. Doing this can help processing go a little faster since you aren’t looking at making every correction. Correct All Grammatical Errors Attempt to Decipher Unclear Words Highlight (in a different color) Grammatically Complex Sections This listen-through should take the longest. By now, you should be familiar with speech patterns, speaker’s usage of false starts and asides, what they are trying to say, etc. You will need to pause and rewind quite often during this time. Now that you are more familiar with the topic, it is easier to conduct research and find out what those previously unclear words are. If it is still unclear, you can mark it in brackets. Some sections may be complex grammatically, especially considering this is a work reflecting spoken word. If you find yourself going back and forth on how to edit it, highlight it and move on. Clarity often comes when you are able to focus on those fewer, more complex sections than on the entirety. Make Final Corrections Final corrections include anything regarding speakers, grammar, unclear words, and more. This is a dizzying time. You’ve gone through the document several times already, and yet you are still just over halfway done. Yet, it is important that at this stage, you make the transcription as clean as possible. It would seem this would be the easiest stage, but you have left much of the bigger puzzles left to solve for now. While there tends to be far fewer pauses when making corrections on the fourth listen-through, the pauses will likely be longer. This is good; it means you are paying attention and taking care. Ensure Formatting is Correct Give unclear sections a final review and attempt to decipher. Make sure all grammar reads well and accurately (accurate, in terms of how the speaker speaks). This is it, the moment you’ve been waiting for: to make sure what you’ve done to this giant document makes sense and truly aligns with the audio. Add your formatting as you go, since this is something small and will not take the focus of your attention from double (penta-) checking your work. Final Adjustment In a month or so, go back to review the transcript one, final time. I know, you thought you were done. However, once you’ve taken a step back, started working on another transcript, let your eyes adjust to a different black-and-white document, you will likely come back to make many edits. This is also good since it means you have grown, gotten better, learned enough to improve in just a month. Since you are not so close anymore, it makes it easier to hear some of those unclear words, see that an aside is actually the start of a new sentence, a phrase you never bothered to edit was actually incorrect the whole time (OtterAI is a blessing and a nuisance). This is the smoothest listen-through you will have, for good reason: you put in all that work prior to your sixth, final listen-through.

According to Cedric Cummins’ The University of South Dakota 1862-1966: Meanwhile, lesser structures and changes were in process. Dr. Thomas E. McKinney, Chairman of the mathematics department, had worked for an observatory since his arrival in 1907. He won support, and business secretary J. H. Julian reported a balance of $13,636.23 from local and endowment funds for the year ending June 30, 1916, “to build a coal house and astronomical laboratory.” The first was constructed back of University hall near the water plant. Work was begun on the brick observatory that fall, north of the athletic field, and completed in 1917 at a cost of approximately $6,500. Its chief pride was the five-inch refractor telescope built in London by Thomas Cooke, Ltd., with a “weight-clock” making it possible to correlate its movement with the rotation of the earth. Another medium had been added by which the University sought to survey the universe from its small base.

In 1927, Representative William Williamson of South Dakota faced a dilemma regarding the retirement of Postmaster Frank Dennerly of the McLaughlin Post Office. Dennerly had served since 1910 but was a member of the Democratic Party and had been pushed out by local Republicans. As a U.S. representative, Williamson had some influence in the final candidate for the position but was caught between two candidates who had powerful backers: Lola S. Lund and George DeWalt. Ms. Lund was the sister of Harold Lund, a lawyer and ex-Alderman who had helped Williamson win the 1926 election through his father, Martin Lund, a member of the Farmer-Labor Party. Mr. DeWalt was a veteran of the Spanish-American War who was well established in the McLaughlin Republican Party, which had backed Williamson in the same election. Both groups were needed by Williamson to enact local Republican policies and both groups sought to sway him to their side. Like USPS positions today, applicants had to take a test to certify that they could do their job and understood workplace rules. Factors that fed into the final score included math, handwriting, business experience, fitness and penmanship with each factor weighed differently in the final score. Business training and experience counted the most followed by math, but military service gave an additional 5 percent. The applicants had to score above 70% on the test before they could be considered and usually the highest scorer was accepted. For the position in 1921, only one person out of five candidates passed the threshold and that was Ms. Lund at 70.3%. Mrs. Marie Martin, a Democrat school teacher was the second highest but dropped out of the running after failing to qualify. George DeWalt initially sat in fourth place with 62.7% but McLaughlin Republicans noted that his score lacked the 5% increase that his military service should’ve afforded him. Additionally, they noted that his business experience was noted as 55 when it should have been higher. In a letter to Williamson, they outlined their options if DeWalt was considered unacceptable: keep Dennerly in his position, accept Ms. Lund as Postmaster, or call for another examination in which they were sure that DeWalt would win. Furthermore, they threatened to withdraw support from Williamson during the next election if he didn’t support them, threatening his position. For Lund, the process was straightforward, his sister had been the only one to score above the threshold and should have gotten the position. He argued that while local Republicans may not have been supportive of his sister, most of the town and businessmen supported her. Additionally, he argued that Harding’s Executive Order of May 10th, 1921 should have made it difficult to pronounce another examination when someone had already filled the requirements. It didn’t take long for rumors to spread. According to County Judge Harry Wilmsen, Lola Lund had told a fellow test-taker that it didn’t matter what score she got as she was going to get the position anyway as Williamson owed her brother. Other city residents claimed that the results were inherently suspicious as it was the first time only one applicant had passed the exam and had done better than a schoolteacher. DeWalt supporters also accused her of being an Aberdeen resident which Harold Lund dismissed, pointing out that she went to school there but was a McLaughlin resident. For Williamson, the matter was in his hands. The Civil Service Commission under President Harding’s 1921 Executive Order directed that first through third class postmaster positions needed to complete the examinations with the top three candidates submitted to the Postmaster General for recommendation to the President. Williamson noted that the order was flexible, but President Coolidge was adamant that politicians needed to defer to the commission. However, while these candidates generally needed to be certified by the commission, Williamson could influence them. After discussing the matter with both parties, Williamson made his choice. He apologized to the Lund family and began to assist DeWalt in obtaining the Postmaster seat. On March 23rd, 1927, he wrote to the commission asking them to reexamine the results, boosting DeWalt’s experience and community ties. He then advised DeWalt to send a letter to the commission fully outlining his military and business experience and to triple check the letter for spelling errors before he mailed it. DeWalt eventually gained his seat as Postmaster while Lola Lund was considered certified by the Civil Service Commission. Source: “Post Office McLaughlin, Corson County, South Dakota, 1927,” Box: 46, Folder: 3. Williamson (William) Papers, MS-175. USD Archives and Special Collections. Feature image from "McLaughlin Golden Jubilee, 1909-1959: A History of McLaughlin, South Dakota Compiled in Connection with the Fiftieth Anniversary Celebration. McLaughlin, South Dakota: Jubilee Book Committee, 1959. Page 36."

The University of South Dakota Archives and Special Collections has published an online finding aid for Albert J. Maag. Albert J. Maag was born on December 1, 1891 in Malmø, Sweden before his family emigrated to Huron, South Dakota. He started his union life in May 1918 by becoming a charter member of the Railroad Local Union 247 Sheet Metal Workers International Association, as Secretary-Treasurer. He then became Vice-President of the South Dakota State Federation of Labor in 1924 under President E. Pfiefer, before becoming President in 1928. He retired in 1960 but was retained as a President Emeritus until he died January 7, 1965. Throughout his career, Maag served on the Defense Savings Committee for South Dakota in 1941, the Labor Speaker Bureau for the War Production Board in 1942, the War Manpower Commission, the South Dakota Advisory Council to the Service of the Blind, and attended the White House Conference on Aging. As a union representative, Albert Maag worked with groups such as the Yankton Carpenter’s Union and the Distillery Workers Union. Maag worked to revoke anti-labor laws in South Dakota, fought against Karl Mundt on labor issues, and oversaw the 1956 opening of the Sioux Falls Labor Temple. Readers who are interested in South Dakota unions, the Homestake Mine, and labor unions’ struggles during the Cold War should utilize this collection. Spielman, Jean E. Stool Pigeon and the Open Shop Movement. American Publishing Company, 1923.

This comprehensive music-related collection is mainly books, largely centered around stringed instruments, was created by John Mahoney, and is housed in the Archives and Special Collection at the University of South Dakota in Vermillion, SD. Library of Congress sponsors #ArchivesHashtagParty once a month. November’s topic is #ArchivesBookLove. D’Alembert Diderot: Encyclopedie Raisonne Metiers, 1767