APRIL 23, 2021 — To support the cleanup project currently underway at the Institute of Texan Cultures, UTSA Libraries Special Collections has welcomed project archivist Barrett Codieck to the team. In collaboration with museum staff, Codieck began work on February 15 and reports to the ITC daily.
Codieck’s work at the ITC follows a string of archival projects, including at St. Cloud State University in Minnesota, the Montana Historical Society and Yellowstone National Park Archives. He holds a bachelor’s degree in history from the University of Oregon, a master’s degree in public history from Florida State University, and a certificate in archives and records management from Western Washington University. He also holds a certification from the Academy of Certified Archivists.
Codieck is working his way through storage areas, common spaces, office spaces, warehouse space, equipment closets, media storage, and other parts of the building to identify materials for archiving, conservation, digitization and surplus.
“We’re getting the ITC ready to serve a new generation of Texans and to make the treasures of its past available to anyone who wants to learn” Barrett Codieck, Project Archivist
“We’re reviewing 50 years of museum records – print, audio, visual, physical, and digital – to determine what needs to go into the university archives and what we keep to comply with UTSA records management protocols. It’s a meticulous but fascinating process—opening old filing cabinets and closets and getting a unique perspective on the museum’s history.”
Codieck has come across such materials as reel-to-reel audio and film, 8-track tapes, vinyl LPs, cassette tapes and Betamax footage from previous events and other specialized exhibits.
“What’s so great is how fast he can work to identify significant materials and organize them,” said Vinny Genco, operations specialist at the museum, who works closely with Codieck daily. “He has found and identified some fantastic materials that belong in the collection. He’s efficient, and he’s proficient – exactly what we need.”
Originally from Oregon, Codieck continues to adjust to life in the nation’s seventh largest city. Outside of the office, he explores his new home with frequent trips to Texas Hill Country communities, state parks, lakes and breweries.