This article appeared in the Volume 1, Issue 2 Fall 2019 issue of the Appalachian Curator. Click here to view a PDF of the full issue. New collections in regional repositories: Appalachian State University Berea College East Tennessee State University University of Kentucky University of North Carolina Asheville Virginia Tech Warren Wilson College West Virginia University W. L. Eury Collection, Appalachian State University Paul Ashley Records: A major recent acquisition was the record collection of Paul Ashley of Creston, North Carolina. Ashley was an audiophile who collected all styles and genres of music, but had a particular affinity for Gospel music. At over 22,000 records, this collection contains a…
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Highlander Center Archives – An Update and History- An Interview with Susan Williams, coordinator of the Highlander Library/Resource Center
This article appeared in the Volume 1, Issue 2 Fall 2019 issue of the Appalachian Curator. Click here to view a PDF of the full issue. It’s a funny thing, because all of Highlander’s stuff is not in one place. Highlander’s stuff connects to lots of other people, to lots of other efforts, to other organizations. It’s kind of a curious collection. – Susan Williams, Highlander Research and Education Center A fire destroyed the main offices of Highlander Research and Education Center in New Market, TN, on March 29, 2019. According to news reports, the fire “destroyed decades of historic documents, speeches, artifacts, and memorabilia.” The Appalachian Curator contacted Highlander…
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Special Collections exhibit at ASA in Asheville
UNC Asheville and Mars Hill University co-hosted the 42nd annual Appalachian Studies Association Conference on the UNC Asheville campus, March 14-17, 2019. To celebrate the newly formed Special Collections Committee at ASA, eleven different special collections in Western North Carolina curated and contributed displays to the exhibit. The follow collections participated: UNC Asheville Mars Hill University Western Carolina University Appalachian State University NC Room, Pack Library Western Regional Archives Blue Ridge Parkway Archives Warren Wilson College Biltmore Estate Carl Sandburg House Swannanoa Valley Museum
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Editor’s Column
By Gene Hyde This article appeared in the Volume 1, Issue 1 Spring/Summer 2019 issue of the Appalachian Curator. Click here to view a PDF of the full issue. In 1966, West Virginia University librarian Robert F. Munn noted that a researcher wanting to write about Appalachia would discover “distressingly little in the way of useful primary and secondary material” about the region. [1] Munn’s observations were later echoed by Appalachian scholars Cratis Williams and Ronald Eller. Lack of archival resources was a problem, and scholars were concerned. Over the decades since Munn identified this problem, archivists and librarians throughout Appalachia have worked to identify, collect, arrange, describe, and make…
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What’s new in Appalachian Special Collections?
This article appeared in the Volume 1, Issue 1 Spring/Summer 2019 issue of the Appalachian Curator. Click here to view a PDF of the full issue. New collections in regional repositories: Appalachian State University Berea College East Tennessee State University Marshall University Radford University University of Kentucky University of North Carolina – Asheville University of Tennessee Virginia Tech Western Carolina University W. L. Eury Collection, Appalachian State University Recently processed… Munsey Webb collection on the Norfolk and Western Railway, 1887-1995 – Collection of Munsey Willard Webb (1927-2006), who worked as a depot agent and telegraph operator at various railway stations between Pulaski, Virginia and Galax, Virginia. Through photographs and…
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Thoughts on Instruction: Teaching Primary Sources
Thoughts on Instruction: Teaching Primary Sources By Marc Brodsky This article appeared in the Volume 1, Issue 1 Spring/Summer 2019 issue of the Appalachian Curator. Click here to view a PDF of the full issue. What is the nature of Special Collections instruction for an archivist working at an institution in the Appalachian region? Certainly, it is not any single thing. There are a wide variety of responses based on the differences found at a range of institutions. Collections differ—materials on hand—as do the purposes or objectives of any given class we may be called on to teach. Most of us that offer this kind of instruction—I presume—provide one-shot sessions…
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The Appalachian Bibliography at West Virginia University: A History
The Appalachian Bibliography at West Virginia University: A History By Stewart Plein This article appeared in the Volume 1, Issue 1 Spring/Summer 2019 issue of the Appalachian Curator. Click here to view a PDF of the full issue. “The current revival of interest in the Southern Appalachians differs from previous ones in at least two important respects. It is centered largely in the universities, and those conducting the studies are trained in research. Equally important, there is a general recognition that both sustained and well-coordinated efforts are required.”[i] The history of the Appalachian Bibliography is both expansive and profound, and it rests on the shoulders of librarians who worked decade…
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History of the Curator, 1996-2002
History of The Curator, 1996-2002 By Dustin Witsman This article appeared in the Volume 1, Issue 1 Spring/Summer 2019 issue of the Appalachian Curator. Click here to view a PDF of the full issue. The Appalachian Curator takes its inspiration from, and pays homage to, The Curator, a print newsletter published by members of the Regional Collections Committee of the Appalachian Consortium from 1996-2002. The original iteration of The Curator was geared toward what are now commonly referred to as “Lone Arrangers” – archivists working as the sole custodian of a repository’s collections materials – stationed in various cultural heritage institutions entrusted with overseeing the preservation and care of Appalachian-related collections. The…
