College and university archives are rich and dynamic resources of campus history. Without a clear sense of mission and programming, they can be overlooked as research destinations. A well-defined program linked with funding sources is one means of connecting these collections to the campus community. Through the assistance of a GHRAB (Georgia Historical Records Advisory Board) grant, one college archives evolved into a viable research destination. The process is outlined in this paper

Salter, Anne A.

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The Southeastern LibrarianVolume 54 | Issue 1 Article 9Spring 2006Using a GHRAB Grant to Reclaim a UniversityArchivesAnne A. SalterOglethorpe University, asalter@oglethorpe.eduFollow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/selnPart of the Archival Science CommonsThis Article is brought to you for free and open access by DigitalCommons@Kennesaw State University. It has been accepted for inclusion in TheSoutheastern Librarian by an authorized editor of DigitalCommons@Kennesaw State University. For more information, please contactdigitalcommons@kennesaw.edu.Recommended CitationSalter, Anne A. (2006) "Using a GHRAB Grant to Reclaim a University Archives," The Southeastern Librarian: Vol. 54 : Iss. 1 , Article 9.Available at: https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/seln/vol54/iss1/942 The Southeastern LibrarianUsing a GHRAB Grant to Reclaim a University Archives Anne A. SalterAnne A. Salter is the Director of the Philip Weltner Library at Oglethorpe University.  She canbe reached at asalter@oglethorpe.edu.IntroductionCollege and university archives are rich anddynamic resources of campus history.  Without aclear sense of mission and programming, theycan be overlooked as research destinations.  Awell-defined program linked with fundingsources is one means of connecting these collec-tions to the campus community.   Through theassistance of a GHRAB (Georgia HistoricalRecords Advisory Board) grant, one collegearchives evolved into a viable research destina-tion.  The process is outlined in this paper.MethodologyUntil recently, an abundance of materials relatingto the rich cultural heritage of  OglethorpeUniversity was not accessible.  A programdesigned to open the archives housing theseresources made it a research destination for thecampus.  The program included developing aninventory of the collection, storage and housingof its contents, cataloging, and preservation.  Akey component in the success of the opening ofthe archives was the receipt of a GHRAB Grant,obtained for the purpose of microfilming the stu-dent newspapers.  Upon completion, access to thenewspapers was made available and a vital recordof the campus history was permanently pre-served.  Also, the grant brought notoriety andcredibility to the archives.   The ProjectThe project began in 2001 and consisted of sev-eral stages:   inventory and storage, accessioning,funding, and public relations/marketing.  Eachstage built on the strength of the previous.Several decisions made at the inception of theproject proved to be keys to success.  Theseincluded devoting library funds and staff time tothe project and seeking a source of outside fund-ing.   Fortunately, two major resources werealready in place: an archives room and researchlevel collections. Oglethorpe University’s archives enjoyed astrong foundation from which to launch the proj-ect.  The library building renovation of 1991included an archives room with work space andcollection storage.  Additional equipment pur-chases included proper shelving, file cabinets,furniture, and a computer. Documents datingback to 1835 and numerous other materials hadbeen collected by the college and stored in thearchives. Continuing the acquisitions programwas easy given the excellent head start.Specifically the collections included studentnewspapers, correspondence, yearbooks, photo-graphs, manuscripts, etchings, drawings, andpapers of the past presidents.  The colorful histo-ry of the campus was well represented. Campus History Founded in 1835 in Midway, a town nearMilledgeville, Georgia, Oglethorpe University isone of the oldest liberal arts colleges in theSouth.   The campus closed during the Civil Warand reopened in the 1870s only to fold because offinancial set backs.  Thornwell Jacobs success-fully opened the school again in 1916 when thecampus was relocated to its present site onPeachtree Road in Atlanta, Georgia.  PresidentJacobs utilized his extensive imagination toattract patrons to the campus.  Under his guid-ance, Oglethorpe, like Harvard and Princeton,was one of the first institutions of higher learningto bestow honorary degrees on famousAmericans, including women.  His idea for atime capsule – the Crypt of Civilization – pre-serving examples of 20th century life, attractednational and international attention.   Such aninteresting history of campus life needed tobecome a more well-known feature on campus.Volume 54, No. 1, Spring 2006 43The next step was to complete the proposed proj-ect and open the archives to the campus. Collection InventoryAn inventory of the archives was necessarybefore cataloging and projects for securing out-side funding could be established.  The task wasespecially arduous because many of the recordshad been separated from their original collection.In several instances no documentation existed toqualify the relationship of the item to the historyof the campus.   Fortunately, the school newspa-pers had been retained.  These papers, with theirdetailed reporting, provided answers to manyquestions related to identifying archival holdings.Acid free folders and document boxes were anexpensive but important investment for properstorage. AccessioningCompletion of the inventory provided an excel-lent catalyst to the next step – the creation  ofaccurate accession records. The accession recordprovides donor information, a description of thegift, and a unique number composed of the yearof donation to identify the material.  This infor-mation was transferred into a searchable databaseby donor name and accession number.Collections were stored on the shelves in acces-sion number order for easy retrieval. Funding through GHRABThe decision to apply for a GHRAB1 grantproved to be an excellent strategy.  GHRABoffers a number of opportunities not availablethrough a national granting agency, including aworkshop, an on site visit, and free publicity.GHRAB’s focus on Georgia records also elimi-nates the lengthy narrative the NationalEndowment for the Humanities and the NationalEndowment for the Arts require to prove a pro-posal merits national interest.  GHRAB providesfunds for the organization and care of Georgiarecords made available to the public.  Grantapplicants are expected to match at least twenty-five per cent of the grant request up to the maxi-mum award of $5,000.  The match may be in kindand can include staff time, supplies and otherrelated expenses.2Prior to applying, interested parties attend a halfday workshop that enables them to understandmore fully the types of projects funded through-out the years and the importance of providingpublic access to these materials.   The sessionalso provides a perspective of the types of grantsthat others are considering.  The workshop is  aunique opportunity to meet interested partici-pants and share ideas. In addition, GHRAB pro-vides an on site visit to each applicant and theirarchives.  This on-site visit is a productive experience,especially for institutions undecided about whichof their worthy projects to fund first.  Such wasthe case with the Oglethorpe University archives.Three major projects were at the top of the prior-ity list for funding –preservation of the schoolnewspapers, scanning of the visual arts collectionand preservation photocopying of historic clip-pings file. The opportunity to participate in an onsite visit with a member of the Georgia Archivesallowed staff time to interact with an expert andformulate an educated decision within the con-text of the entire archives. After the visit and ensuing discussion the projectselection became clearer. Based on the criteria ofpreservation need and importance of content, thestudent newspapers were selected for microfilm-ing.  In addition, a follow-up grant to index thepapers seemed a logical application for a futuregrant. The visual arts scanning project was put onhold. The preservation photocopying was com-pleted using student assistants.  The majorexpense for the latter project was the purchase ofacid-free photocopying paper.  Three-hundredpages of clippings were accurately copied, dated,and filed in appropriate subject categories.Consequently, the students became excited aboutthe archives and its holdings, and news about thearchives began to travel. 1 The GHRAB grant is funded by the Georgia Historical Records AdvisoryBoard which makes funds available to non-profit organizations throughout thestate.  Funds are provided from a variety of resources including the NHPRC(National Historical Publications and Records Commission).  2 For more information see the web sitewww.sos.state.ga.us/archives/ghrab.grants/grants.htm44 The Southeastern LibrarianIn 2004 the GHRAB grant application was writ-ten and a grant of $5,000 awarded to cover theuniversity’s cost to microfilm the student news-papers.  Easy record keeping, excellent remindersabout quarterly reports, and constant contact asneeded with granting officials are some of thehallmarks of GHRAB’s operation.  A local film-ing company was interviewed and accepted thejob.  They provided both pick up and delivery ofthe papers.  Preparing the papers for filming, cre-ating filming targets, checking the chronologicalorder, and checking the film quality kept staffand student assistants busy for the duration of thegrant period.  Thanks to the GHRAB grant, thenewspapers are now a preserved, viable resourcefor the campus community.  The microfilming ofthe papers became the first step in a full-fledgedpreservation program for the archives. Public RelationsAs an added bonus, GHRAB provides local pub-licity for grant recipients.  In addition, any organ-ization receiving a GHRAB grant is eligible toapply for a year-end award. The award ceremonyheld at the Georgia Archives includes a presenta-tion to representatives of the institution. Statesenators from districts receiving awards are invit-ed to attend.  Award winners receive a plaquespecifically designed for their project and photoopportunities with the Secretary of State.  Theceremony and awards are an excellent way to pro-mote collections and network with other partici-pants and members of GHRAB.   The GHRAB grant also created positive residualeffects. The process of prioritizing collections foroutside funding raised awareness of the greatpotential the archival holdings had for variouscomponents on campus.  For example, the photo-graph collection serves as an excellent resourcefor departments creating web sites and news fly-ers. University units frequently request photosand information on the history of the campus.  Astudent internship provides hands-on experiencewith archival processing.  The Alumni Officeincludes the archives on its annual campus tour.Campus exhibits utilize images and artifactsfrom the archives.   The archives is an appreciat-ed resource.  SummaryCampus archives are often a resource disregard-ed or even ignored until a well structured pro-gram can link its collections to campus-relatedactivities.  Devoting time, energy, staff and budg-et to making it a reliable and active unit is wellworth the effort.  Good public relations associat-ed with the archives and its resources combine tomake it an important part of the campus commu-nity.  Finding the right grants to assist with theeffort pays off in many ways, including notorietyfor the institution and funds to complete thesegoals.  

Using a GHRAB Grant to Reclaim a University Archives

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Using a GHRAB Grant to Reclaim a University Archives

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