Untold Facts about Special Collections

A Look into the Job of Bill Shaman

Published February 18, 2011

By Miranda Milless

The antiquarian book shelves that hold the
oldest publications.
Photo By Miranda Milless

The special collection archive at Bemidji State University is run by Bill Shaman, special collections librarian. The special collections are located in the Bemidji State library on the second floor in a small room full of bookshelves with a big table in the center that splits off into two other rooms. The room gives off a comfortable vibe with pictures on the walls and furniture brought in by Shaman himself.

One of the book shelves was the antiquarian that held the oldest books which is the most used collection. This shelf had gated-like doors with a pad lock. Bill is in charge of the two parts, special collections and university archives. The funding for historical archives had been pulled out many years ago.

There are three types of information -- primary, secondary and tertiary. “Primary information has nothing to do with the truth.” Shaman had stated. “Nothing in this room is primary.” Notes that are taken are the things considered primary information. Even an autobiography is not a primary source. Books are secondary searches and sources which are then considered tertiary information.

All faculty publications can be found in the special archives where Bill pointed to the smaller room off to the right. Also there are copies of the Bemidji Pioneer. “The only remaining copy of the original Bemidji Pioneer is in the archives section.” Shaman had stated while flipping through some pages. The archives also contain all the university’s recordings and sound tracks. Archives also includes presidential papers to class schedules.

“It’s a lonely job.” mentioned Shaman looking down while giving a smirk; this coming from a man who has spent many years studying books for a living. There is not much staff needed for the special collections.

The most used item in the archives is the photographs. They are also Bill’s favorite thing in the collections. They say a picture is worth a thousand words. So much can come from a photograph. The university had started out as mainly women. Seeing the changes and growth for Bemidji State throughout the years is astounding.

The worn and torn King James Bible.
Photo by Miranda Milless

One special item in the archives is the very first King James Bible that was published no earlier than 1615 or after 1617. It is the 400^th anniversary for this specific Bible. “It took me 10 years to study all the editions of the bible to be able to write something about them.” Shaman had mentioned while holding the worn down King James Bible. The older the books the more durable the pages are.

When asked how far the library was with digitalizing all the publications Shaman replied, “The farthest from it.” Shaman is more focused on getting all the publications in order.

“We lose track of how many books have been published.” Shaman said. Publishing books is money driven. "Manufacturers of vended digital products think we are digitalizing the world. It's never going to happen." What will sell will be published.

One can find out a lot about the university’s history and also venture into some classic books that set building blocks for literature today. Special collections is filled with the past and the present. Shaman has spent many years in this job and has been exposed to all the types of literature. He was kind to share all this information and open our minds to the archives.