Preserving College History: Digital Collections in the Undergraduate Library

About the Project:

The College archives and special collections house the history of our institution, and tell the story of the people, ideas, events, and external influences that have helped shape the growth of Eckerd College since its inception in 1958. Archives and special collections preserve, organize and make primary resources available to educate and inform current and future members of the college community. As collections move online to be more accessible, their reach and impact goes beyond the confines of the campus, and include not only materials to document the history of the College, but evidence of the intellectual and artistic efforts produced by our faculty and students. Materials of interest include recently digitized undergraduate theses, proceedings from student research and humanities symposiums, as well as the College’s collection of visual art from our founding faculty members. These collections show us the College’s history as well as possible directions for its future, and are essential to preserve the legacy of the institution.

The Preserving College History project will provide a first-year student associate with an opportunity to work with archival materials as they are digitized and archived for preservation and access. Students will learn the basics of digitizing primary source materials in a variety of formats, gain skills in metadata development and digital asset management, and help curate materials for digital exhibits under the guidance of faculty and staff in the Eckerd College Library and Visual Arts department. Students will also gain practical experience in using a variety of web tools and platforms to showcase collections. The hands-on project will provide students with an appreciation for archives and special collections, and offer practical experience using a variety of tools for image editing, digital asset management, and web publishing. The ideal student would be comfortable with learning new technologies, have excellent attention to detail, and an interest in archival materials and art history.

The First-Year Research Associate Program at Eckerd College honors academically outstanding students with awards of up to $1,000. The program also provides the opportunity, during the freshman year, for the award winners to work closely with a sponsor (faculty or administrative personnel) on a project of mutual interest. Associates might assist with research for faculty publication or new courses, conduct scientific experiments, work with creative artists, or develop projects related to any phase of the academic, cultural, and social life of the college. Scholars are selected on the basis of achievement in high school and on the creativity and depth of responses to items on this application.​

Online submission due no later than February 1, 2021.