{"id":584,"date":"2021-05-10T18:35:33","date_gmt":"2021-05-10T22:35:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/slis.simmons.edu\/blogs\/lis476\/?p=584"},"modified":"2021-05-10T18:35:33","modified_gmt":"2021-05-10T22:35:33","slug":"the-state-of-utah-vs-joe-hill","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/slis.simmons.edu\/blogs\/lis476\/?p=584","title":{"rendered":"The State of Utah vs Joe Hill"},"content":{"rendered":"

by Jack Oldham<\/em><\/p>\n

The project I chose to profile is the \u201cThe State of Utah vs Joe Hill,\u201d which was created by the Utah Division of Archives and Records Service.\u00a0 This is an active project that looks to tell the story of Joe Hill who was a Sedish-American labor leader and activist.\u00a0 In 1915, Hill was convicted of the murders of two men in Salt Lake City.\u00a0 The night of the murders, Hill appeared at the office of a doctor with his own gunshot wound, causing suspicion that he was involved.\u00a0 Hill\u2019s trial and subsequent execution spurred international headlines and discussion about his innocence and whether or not he was being targeted for his work as a prominent labor organizer.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe State of Utah vs. Joe Hill\u201d serves as a digital exhibit on Utah\u2019s state archive\u2019s web page.\u00a0 The goal of this project is to fully digitize and transcribe records related to Joe Hill, his trial, and the international conversation that it created.\u00a0 In order to make these records publicly available and accessible, the Utah Division of Archives and Records Service is asking the public to help with the transcription process.\u00a0 There are currently three collections available for the public to transcribe, \u201cGovernor Spry Joseph Hillstrom Case Records,\u201d \u201cGovernor Spry Joseph Hillstrom Petitions,\u201d and \u201cGovernor Spry Joseph Hillstrom Correspondence.\u201d\u00a0 This project appears to have reached an enthusiastic and participatory audience as more than half of the materials have been accurately transcribed in just over a month.<\/p>\n

Looking at this project from an advocacy and outreach perspective, I was struck by the use of crowdsourcing transcription and how that works to the benefit of the institution in more than one way.\u00a0 As we have discussed in class, government archives oftentimes find it difficult to access an adequate amount of funding.\u00a0 Crowdsourcing serves as an interesting strategy to keep costs low while also increasing institutional productivity.\u00a0 Furthermore, crowdsourcing looks to be an effective method of outreach for institutions as they can thoroughly engage with a wide audience.\u00a0 In this case, the Utah State Archives are certainly looking to serve their people in an effort to help create a community, specifically for Utahns and individuals interested in labor history in the United States.\u00a0 This is a particularly effective way to create a larger and more involved community during the Covid-19 pandemic.\u00a0 Given our inability to gather and come together in person, crowdsourcing through the internet is a great solution that helps further the institution\u2019s goal of community building.\u00a0 This goal of the project aligns with the institution\u2019s mission and values to provide its citizens with a more complete understanding of Utah and its people.<\/p>\n

Another important aspect of this project is related to Joe Hill\u2019s innocence.\u00a0 There is much evidence that indicates that Joe Hill was innocent and received unjust treatment from the Utah Justice System.\u00a0 By digitizing and transcribing this collection, the Utah State archives are providing documentary evidence of past wrongdoing against citizens.\u00a0 In doing so, the institution is providing greater transparency and accountability to the Utah state government.\u00a0 There also seems to be an element of attempted inreach in the Joe Hill project.\u00a0 By detailing the past transgressions of the state government, the Utah archives can inform and remind the government of its commitment to serving its citizens with transparency and justice.\u00a0 Greater engagement with the public and those within the Utah state government are laid out as key goals in the Archives\u2019 \u201cOutreach and Advocacy Guide.\u201d<\/p>\n

Further Reading<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cThe State of Utah vs. Joe Hill\u201d special project:\u00a0 https:\/\/archives.utah.gov\/digital\/joe-hill.html<\/a><\/p>\n

Utah Division of Archives and Records Service \u201cOutreach and Advocacy Guide\u201d: https:\/\/archives.utah.gov\/documents\/utah-state-archives_outreach-guide_FY2021.pdf<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

by Jack Oldham The project I chose to profile is the \u201cThe State of Utah vs Joe Hill,\u201d which was created by the Utah Division of Archives and Records Service.\u00a0 This is an active project that looks to tell the story of Joe Hill who was a Sedish-American labor leader and activist.\u00a0 In 1915, Hill … <\/p>\n

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