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What is a finding aid?
A finding aid is a tool for accessing the documents and items contained within an archival collection. The aid describes the contents of the collection, both what the items are and exactly where they are located, so that researchers can "find" them.
At its most basic, a finding aid can be an inventory or spreadsheet, or a relational database--so each item or folder can be linked to creators, subjects, and sometimes digital surrogates (digitized images) within the catalog--and a relational database contains much more metadata than a spreadsheet finding aid.
Each finding aid will also include biographical information about the creator of the collection, and often historical background for the material, allowing researchers not only access to the material but also insight into the contents.
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The task to be accomplishedThe Westin Alumni Association research assistant-ship will allow one student from the UH History Department’s Center for Public History to work in the Hospitality Industry Archive’s Westin Hotels Collection for the Fall 2025 and Spring 2026 semesters. Working with the two archivists, Mark Young, Ph.D. and Mari Corsi, Ph.D., the student would organize the collection and create a finding aid as well as determine what preservation work needs to be conducted on all aspects of the collection. Based on the student’s findings, we would also attempt to create a parallel digitized collection based on “greatest hits” from the collection, including key letters, postcards, Western/Westin GM meetings, etc.
Completing this project will be the capstone of a decades long effort to secure the legacy of Western Hotels, Inc., the innovation leader in the hospitality industry that we proud to be a part of.
A handful of us have volunteered countless hours over the past decades to WAA, and we see this as the final and fitting contribution that will accomplish our mission.
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We need your help!
We can only accomplish this with the financial gifts from our some 1,000 members worldwide. Your gift of $100 or more will make it happen.
Make your contribution NOW on-line or send us a check
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