It’s that time of year to share an update on everything Special Collections & Archives was able to accomplish in 2023. First and foremost, I would like to recognize the SCA team: Alayna, Ashelee, Beth, Craig, Emily, Kate, Marcia, Megan, Melde, Rebecca, and Stephanie as well as our student curatorial associates Parker and Tsing and two volunteers, Kevin and Nancy, and thank them all for their hard work. We also appreciate all of the help we receive from our ZSR colleagues and fabulous student employees (over 20 of them) who assist in answering reference questions, digitizing materials, shifting collections, and creating buttons and magnets.
As SCA continues to grow in collections, digital resources, and programming, I would like to extend a special thanks to all of our donors and supporters who make collection and financial donations, come to our events, and appreciate what we do–while this report focuses on numbers, so much of what we do is not quantifiable. Our work is about building community and connecting Wake Foresters of the past, present, and the future.
Partnerships/Events
Exhibit Opening Receptions; Dr. Wilson 100th Birthday Party; Black History Month Speakeasy with the Intercultural Center; Maya Angelou Garden Party; Piedmont Earth Day Fair; Bookmarks Author Celeste Ng; Homecoming Festival on the Quad; Strings Homecoming Event; Family Weekend Open House; Family Weekend Open House; Deacon Brews
Exhibits
- Pro Humanitate: Wake Forest Presidential Inaugurations Past and Present. March 21, 2022 – October 2, 2023. Ammons Gallery (Room 401, 4th Floor, Reynolds Wing, Z. Smith Reynolds Library)
- More Than Meets the Eye: Alternative Photographic Processes. April 26, 2023 – January 31, 2024. Special Collections & Archives Research Room (ZSR Library Room 625). Curated by Tsing Liu, ’23 Houck Medford Curatorial Associate
- “Never Before Published” First Editions from the Wake Forest Library Rare Books Collections. August 2022 – January 2023. Special Collections & Archives Research Room (ZSR Library Room 625). Curated by Megan Mulder
- The Presence of Absence: New Virtual Exhibit. Curated by SCA Medford Curatorial Associate Tsing Liu (’23). Online exhibit
- What Happened? Houck Medford’s Photographic Witness for Floyd County, Virginia. Curated by SCA Medford Curatorial Associate Tsing Liu (’23). Yadkin Cultural Arts Center. January-February, 2023
Hosted Presentations and Screenings
- The Intersection of Art & Poetry: Unique Forms of Expression (Artist Books Popup Exhibit and Reception)
- The Third King Charles: The Coronation and the Baggage of the British Monarchy
- Cain Cousin Connection: Reconnecting Cain History
- The Mummy’s Curse!
- Why Private Philanthropy is Important in Supporting the Arts and Humanities: A Conversation
- Special Event with Celeste Ng
- ZSR Library Homecoming 2023
Donation-Supported Projects
Expanded Voices–Curatorial Associate: Parker Beverly
- 17 interviews conducted
- Interviewees range from graduating seniors and faculty members to graduate students and staff.
- Connected with various groups for interviews like AWFUBA
- 3 classes collaborated w/oral history project and produced personal oral histories and of others connected to Wake Forest and the Winston-Salem community
- Began implementation of TheirStory (oral history software platform)
- 5 completed collections
- Over 1000 minutes or oral histories housed in the new system
Houck Medford Curatorial Associate. Tsing Liu (’23)
Exhibits:
Yadkin Cultural Arts Center (Yadkinville, NC)
Special Collections & Archives (Room 625)
Collections
Accessions
- 77 230.51 linear ft. (130 ft. from Burr) and 3007.15 megabytes
Digital Collections
- Local (ZSR_Production): 7.27 TB; 475,122 files
- AWS: 9.8 TB; 514,022 files
- Patron requests: 4,552
- Digitization Projects: 15,575
- Metadata Records created: 551
Processed or Inventoried
- 446 linear ft. (167 linear ft. from Burr)
- 112 finding aids edited
- 42 new finding aids published
Preservation
- General Collections repairs: 394
- Special Collections & Archives repairs/rehousing: 2,581
Rare Book Cataloging/Updates
- MARC records (original): 66
- Bib History Created: 5 (collections)
- Bib History Updated: 2,000
- Items Created: 1,500
- Items Updated: 7,000
- Offsite Permanent Transfers: 181 collections boxes; 2,850 books/periodical boxes
- Offsite Reference Transfers: 120 items
Public Outreach
- Campus Instruction: 1,405 (124 classes)
- Donor Contacts: 105
- Reference Requests (including Research Room visitors): 1,782
Digital/Social Media Activities
- Blog postings: 31
- Facebook: 474 Followers
- Instagram: 1,003 Followers
- Tumblr: 980 followers
- Twitter: 729 Followers
3 Comments on ‘2023 Annual Report for Special Collections & Archives’
Kudos to everyone in Special Collections & Archives for your excellent work. Your impact on ZSR, WFU, and our community is impressive and much appreciated!
I like that your mission is to connect Wake Foresters of the past, present, and future. It is clear that your work is having a great impact on that!
Congratulations on the many achievements and contributions covered in the Annual Report. Current and future historians are fortunate to have these resources available.