I have spent the last week researching the databases and the other resources online that were given to me by Drew. I am still having problems finding any valuable information but I have expanded my knowledge of Baltimore as a whole through all of the skimming I have done! Gail and I have e-mailed each other back and forth around 4 times last week and I am waiting for her to let me know what their meetings outcomes were for any ideas for the project. I told her that it probably would be best if Katie and I would meet her sometime in the near future. I have tried to make interviews with a contacts I have but no one has called me back.... maybe vacation?

I also took a trip to Brooklyn Library to try and talk with the lady who was extremely helpful last time. She was not in but should be back sometime this week they said.

Research: 5 hours
E-mailing to Gail- 1 hour
Driving to library- 1 hour

I thought of an idea for a main project for Brooklyn. What about making a website/community profile from all of the research we get. This would include the sports aspect, oral histories and general histories. Or maybe it can be a smaller project with just the histories. I realized today how much work is involved in researching. There are many in Brooklyn who don't know the history of their community and probably do not have the resources as we do to find out. Maybe we can give them a website that can have all of the research we have found all in one place. This is just an idea. I know the blog is meant or the Wiki but maybe we can make a different site too.

I had a good time today learning about the ways I can approach this project.
10:30-2:00 meeting with Drew, Dr. King and Katie
9-10:20 brainstorming and blog

JULY 16

I've spent the past two days looking over the goals for the project and researching. I also looked over many of the contact information, the history portfolio I made and past research that I had. I am looking forward to meeting with you next week so I can learn how to perform research better. There is so much that was found on Brooklyn, New York and I spent a good three hours yesterday trying to sort through all of it. I also did a basic google search on the crimes in the areas. I want to find some type of website or database that could provide me with the crime statistics for the past years. I wish I could find something that dated back to the beginning to look at how the crime has changed. I did go to Baltimore's police department website and they had a cool interactive map that showed what types of crime was performed and where. This only went back to the past 14 days though. I am wondering if I should contact them and see how to get more information. There is so much to do and I am glad that I am able to really focus on the study now. There is so much to do but I will get it done by the end of the summer. I think that once I am more clear on researching tips things might come a little easier. Next week I have some time set aside so that I can call churches in the area and also go to Enoch Pratt.
Wednesday hours- july 15th-
3 hours Jstor
Baltimore Sun 45 minutes
Thursday hours
1:40 min reading over past research
looking at area churches 35 minutes
Jstor- 40 min
Baltimroe Sun- 1 hr
Crime websites- 35 min
organizing- 30 min

Total hours for Wednesday and Thursday- 8 hours and 5 min

JUNE 14

This week I have thought a lot about the ways in which I will conduct the research. I looked over passages from author Studs Terkel's American Dreams Lost and Found. I really would love to be able to rewrite the stories of the people of Brooklyn, Maryland. I became extremely interested how he tells the story of the people- people who are of different ages, gender and ethnicity. I finished the Citi after it taking me a good 3 hours!!! I am not sure it was supposed to take me that long but it sure did. I also set up interviews with a few people who lived in Brooklyn and hung out at Club 4100. I am doing this July 3rd, I want to concentrate on what questions I should ask them.
I have contacted the woman I spoke of last week about the prostitution/sex trafficking in Brooklyn but have not heard back from her.
This week I want to concentrate on getting things organized such as my contacts and future interviews.

Readings of Studs Terkel: 3 hours and 15 min
Citi: 3 hours
Setting up interview: 1 hour (explaining the criteria/ why we are doing this)

Here is the link for real this time :)
http://www.hometownglenburnie.com/news/mdgazette/2009/05/30-15/No+buyers:+Club+4100+owners+fail+in+bid+to+auction+landmark.html

links

Here is an article on Club 4100

june 7

This week I wasn't able to go out into Brooklyn, but I did start the process to get certified to conduct interviews. I also spoke with a friends sister this weekend at a party who works with sex trafficking victims. She works with people out of Brooklyn because of the high prostitution rates. I will contact her this week because she should have a different aspect of Brooklyn. She said that she would help out and give us more insight on what is really going on. We talked for a while about the community and I explained what our study was and why we were doing this.

Total hours so far:
1st meeting: 1 1/2 hours
4100 research before auction: 1 hour
4100 auction: 2 hours

I will get a move on the study this week.