LEEDS – Bates College students recently completed a short-term course, “An Introduction to Archives and Archival Science,” and the Leeds Historical Society was the beneficiary of their work.

The course explored the history and significance of archives and archival records and how they shape the writing and remembering of history in society.

Archival theory was paired with a practicum allowing students the opportunity to access, arrange, describe and publish online the holdings of the Leeds Historical Society.

At the conclusion of the course, members of the Leeds Historical Society met with the students and their instructor to learn about the archival process and view the results of the students’ work.

The collections of three Leeds families, the Russell-Carvilles, the Newcomb-Burnhams and the Bresters, have been archived, as well as a photo collection and other items of historical interest to Leeds.

The Bates students exhibited their individual projects, which included sorting and arranging material and making boxes to hold the various collections.

A invaluable contribution was the “finding aid,” which is a description and arrangement of a collection for ease of use.

The students said they needed to remind themselves that the priority was the organization and archiving of the materials, not becoming involved in the stories they told.

After their presentation, the students answered questions. “This project was a great service to our community. It was a huge help,” said Laura Juraska, society president.

“Not only did Bates provide us with a large quantity of archival materials, but we also received a great deal of information about how we can continue the preservation of our collection.”

The society, located in the old Leeds Town House, is open by appointment. For more information, call Laura Juraska at 524-2324.