Social Media Outreach: How The Ernest J. Gaines Center Explores New Platforms,
2015
University of Louisiana-Lafayette
Social Media Outreach: How The Ernest J. Gaines Center Explores New Platforms, Derek T. Mosley
The Primary Source
The Ernest J. Gaines Center at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette (UL Lafayette) is an international center for scholarship on Ernest Gaines and his work. The center honors the work of UL Lafayette’s Writer-in-Residence Emeritus and provides a space for scholars and students to work with the Gaines papers and manuscripts. Born in 1933 on a plantation near New Roads, Louisiana, Gaines based his award-winning novels on the African American experience in the rural South. His works include The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman and A Lesson Before Dying, both later produced as award-winning films. Having a great research …
A Tale Of Two Blogs: Lessons Learned Establishing The Top Shelf And La Cocina Histórica At The University Of Texas At San Antonio,
2015
University of Texas at San Antonio
A Tale Of Two Blogs: Lessons Learned Establishing The Top Shelf And La Cocina Histórica At The University Of Texas At San Antonio, Sean Heyliger, Juli Mcloone, Nikki Lynn Thomas
The Primary Source
When establishing a blog, Special Collections departments face a variety of decisions that will affect the future shape of the blog and its readership. The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) Libraries Special Collections is in the unusual position of publishing two blogs with distinct audiences and content: a general department blog, The Top Shelf, and a collection-specific blog, La Cocina Histórica. This article examines various strategies employed by both of these blogs in the areas of content, targeted audience, management and authorship responsibility, media exposure, and platform-choice and how those strategies affect blog readership.
Using Social Media And Web 2.0 Tools In An African-American Repository,
2015
College of Charleston
Using Social Media And Web 2.0 Tools In An African-American Repository, Aaisha Haykal
The Primary Source
The College of Charleston's Avery Research Center for African American History and Culture in Charleston, South Carolina is an archival repository, museum, and center for public programming dedicated to collecting, preserving, and making public the history of African-Americans in Charleston and the South Carolina Lowcountry. Currently, the social media strategy consists of maintaining a blog called “Not Just in February” and a Facebook page, but we are investigating other mediums. These platforms were chosen by the administration to promote the programs and archival collections at the institution. The effort to create an indelible Web presence is imperative if the institution …
A Pinch Of This And Salt To Taste: An Iterative Approach To Social Media,
2015
University of Wyoming
A Pinch Of This And Salt To Taste: An Iterative Approach To Social Media, Shannon Bowen-Maier, Rachael Dreyer
The Primary Source
The American Heritage Center (AHC) formed a Web 2.0 Task Force beginning in April 2009 to develop a social networking strategy and implementation plan. Two years later, the AHC has a blog, a Facebook page, and a Twitter account. After a year and a half of engagement with these utilities, we have accumulated a small online following, gathered data about the kinds of content preferred by our users, and identified areas for future experimentation and growth. This case study will describe our strategic planning process, discuss the transition from concept development to implementation, and highlight how assessment has informed the …
Editor's Note: Web 2.0 In The Archive World,
2015
Columbus-Lowndes Public Library
Editor's Note: Web 2.0 In The Archive World, Mona K. Vance
The Primary Source
Editor's introduction to The Primary Source, Vol. 30.
Entire Issue Volume 29,
2015
The University of Southern Mississippi
Entire Issue Volume 29
The Primary Source
Complete issue of Vol. 29 of The Primary Source.
The Walter White Project,
2015
University of Southern California
The Walter White Project, Jackson Stakeman, Randolph Stakeman
The Primary Source
The Walter White project began with a few vague notions about creating a website that served as a resource on the late civil rights leader, who led the NAACP for seventeen years. As a figure in the Civil Rights Movement his role is pivotal. In addition his life and work makes him a sort of an intersection connecting the lives of people from the humblest African Americans to those in the highest seats of power. The range of his activities is so diverse and complex that it was challenging to envision how we could, in a non-linear way, best display …
Access The Copyrighted: Integration Correspondence From The James H. Meredith Collection,
2015
University of Mississippi
Access The Copyrighted: Integration Correspondence From The James H. Meredith Collection, Jason Kovari
The Primary Source
The violence surrounding the 1962 desegregation of Ole Miss inherently links the University of Mississippi (UM) with the history of the Civil Rights Movement. Thus, the Department of Archives & Special Collections at UM holds extensive civil rights related collections, ranking amongst our more frequently researched topics. Aside from contributing to a statewide grant-funded initiative in 2003, the UM Archives & Special Collections has shied away from prioritizing Civil Rights materials in our digital collections; however, this decision does not stem from emotion. Historically, we have focused on 19th century materials, clearly in the public realm, in an attempt to …
Digitizing The Morehouse College Martin Luther King, Jr. Collection,
2015
Atlanta University Center Robert W. Woodruff Library
Digitizing The Morehouse College Martin Luther King, Jr. Collection, Courtney Chartier
The Primary Source
In June 2006, the papers of Martin Luther King, Jr. were being prepared for auction at Sotheby’s. A group of prominent Atlantans learned of the sale, and pooled their resources in an effort to buy the documents as one collection, and return them to Atlanta. The collection was then transferred to Dr. King’s alma mater, Morehouse College. As the official library of Morehouse, the Robert W. Woodruff Library was granted custodianship of the collection.
The Civil Rights In Mississippi Digital Archive,
2015
University of Southern Mississippi
The Civil Rights In Mississippi Digital Archive, Diane Decesare Ross
The Primary Source
Mississippi was a focal point in the struggle for civil rights in America, and Hattiesburg, home of The University of Southern Mississippi, had the largest and most successful Freedom Summer project in 1964. Through the use of digital imaging and other information technologies, The University of Southern Mississippi Libraries is providing a worldwide audience of researchers with a firsthand perspective on the Civil Rights Movement that otherwise would be restricted to local users and only the most dedicated of historical researchers.
Editor's Note: Civil Rights Collections In The Digital Realm,
2015
Mississippi State University
Editor's Note: Civil Rights Collections In The Digital Realm, Ryan P. Semmes
The Primary Source
Editor's introduction to The Primary Source, Vol. 29.
Entire Issue Volume 28, Number 2,
2015
The University of Southern Mississippi
Entire Issue Volume 28, Number 2
The Primary Source
Complete issue of Vol. 28, No. 2 of The Primary Source.
Putting Out The Welcome Mat: Archival Outreach In The Public Library Environment,
2015
Pikes Peak Library District
Putting Out The Welcome Mat: Archival Outreach In The Public Library Environment, Amy Zeigler
The Primary Source
Pikes Peak Library District in Colorado Springs, Colorado, boasts two main libraries, ten branches, three bookmobiles, and did I mention a fantastic archives collection? The archives is a surprise and a hidden gem for most individuals visiting the public library. Special Collections is located in a beautifully restored 1905 Carnegie Library, which is attached to the Penrose Library built in 1969. By having Special Collections located near several other library services, it provides ample opportunities for outreach. The children's department is located above the archives and the computer lab and law library are located below. As a result we have …
Politics And Advocacy: A Dilettante's View Of Archival Activism,
2015
Louisiana State University
Politics And Advocacy: A Dilettante's View Of Archival Activism, Bradley J. Wiles
The Primary Source
In June of this year I had the dubious honor of testifying in front of a congressional committee during the Louisiana State Legislative Session. My testimony was in response to a public records bill that had passed through the State Senate and was under consideration in the House Committee for Governmental Affairs. It was an honor because I was allowed to represent the officers and executive board of the Louisiana Archives and Manuscript Association (LAMA), of which I am an active member. I had been following the progress of the bill in question and had drafted a letter in opposition …
Collaborations For Promotional Success: The Western Writers Series Digital Editions At Boise State University,
2015
Boise State University
Collaborations For Promotional Success: The Western Writers Series Digital Editions At Boise State University, Erin Passehl
The Primary Source
In the fall of 2008, Boise State University Special Collections published its first online digital collection entitled Western Writers Series Digital Editions, a selection of titles from the Boise State University Western Writers Series. Published at Boise State University since 1972, volumes in the Western Writers Series provide brief, authoritative introductions to writers and classic texts of the American West. The impetus behind digitizing 23 of the 172 titles was to make accessible the out-of-print booklets that the editors still receive purchasing requests for, as well as showcase one of Boise State University's unique publications. With the booklets at …
Expanding Outreach In Lean Times,
2015
George Washington University
Expanding Outreach In Lean Times, Jennifer Kinniff
The Primary Source
With the economic downturn forcing archival repositories and special collections departments to pare down budgets and staff, institutions sometimes view outreach, publicity, and marketing as luxuries. At the Special Collections Research Center (SCRC) of George Washington University's Gelman Library, we consider these activities part of our core tasks. Our mission statement declares we will "collect, preserve, and make accessible primary resources and rare or unique materials." Fulfilling this third objective requires more than just processing collections and opening the reading room, however. In our view, it requires a sustained and vigorous program of outreach through the Web, events, exhibits, and …
Archival Vaudeville: Rethinking Outreach With Collaborative Programming,
2015
Carnegie Mellon University
Archival Vaudeville: Rethinking Outreach With Collaborative Programming, Jennie Benford, Rachel Grove Rohrbaugh
The Primary Source
When a group of archivists in Pittsburgh started meeting for happy hours, talk inevitably turned to the great things we were working on and how we wished more people knew about the archives found in our city. Comparing notes quickly turned to making plans for a public program that would allow local archivists to introduce themselves and their repositories to an audience beyond the circled wagons of our profession. In planning for this event, several decisions were made at a theoretical level that had real impact on the structure and success of the program. The loose formula created by the …
Editor's Note: Outreach And Advocacy During Economic Recession,
2015
Columbus-Lowndes Public Library
Editor's Note: Outreach And Advocacy During Economic Recession, Mona K. Vance
The Primary Source
Editor's introduction for The Primary Source, Vol. 28, No. 2.
Entire Issue Volume 28, Number 1,
2015
The University of Southern Mississippi
Entire Issue Volume 28, Number 1
The Primary Source
Complete issue of Vol. 28, No. 1 of The Primary Source.
Renovating The Atlanta History Center Archives: Moving People, Places And History,
2015
Delta State University
Renovating The Atlanta History Center Archives: Moving People, Places And History, Emily Weaver
The Primary Source
The Atlanta Historical Society was founded in 1926 when a group of fourteen civic-minded Atlantans were called together by prominent attorney, Walter McElreath, with a desire to preserve the regional history by collecting manuscripts and photographs. With this storehouse of primary source information, the group was able to provide a rich cache of materials to scholars and general researchers. As the collections continued to grow, so did the scope and vision from those original founding members. The Atlanta History Center officially formed in 1991, encompassing over thirty-three acres of land with a newly constructed state-of- the-art museum, two interpreted historic …
