With the start of the new 2026-2027 school year upon us, I would like to provide an introduction to Special Collections & Archives (SCA) and the Wake Forest Historical Museum (WFHM) operations so that ZSR and others will be better informed about our Team and know who to contact for specific requests. Our org chart is available here.

SCA serves as a research repository for rare, unique, and primary source materials in the Z. Smith Reynolds Library, and we acquire, preserve, and provide access to a wide range of primary research materials in their original and digital formats.

One question we frequently hear is: “So, I have a question for Special Collections & Archives, who should I contact first?” The best place to start is archives@wfu.edu, your go-to for reference questions, requests for class instruction or tours, or inquiries about donations. Messages sent to this email go to Ashelee, Kaylin, Megan, Rebecca, and Tanya, so we can make sure something is handled even if one of us is out of the office.

Often an in-person patron is referred to SCA because they are requesting a book or other material that is historical or old, and SCA has a copy. Before sending them to the 6th floor, it’s helpful to conduct a brief reference interview to find out enough information in order to direct them appropriately, whether to Special Collections, the General Collection, or Document Delivery/ILL. If the patron does need to use original materials from SCA, we’re happy to assist them, but sometimes they prefer a digital or reprint copy from the general stacks that they can check out.

ZSR Special Collections & Archives is open to walk-in traffic from 10am-4pm, Monday-Friday in the SCA Research Room (625 ZSR Library). But we do strongly encourage researchers and all visitors to contact us at archives@wfu.edu in advance of their visit. As more of our collections reside off-site or elsewhere in ZSR, it can take time for us to ensure we are completely prepared for visits. And just a reminder, SCA is a non-circulating collection, so materials may not be checked out, but must be used in the Research Room. We also do not allow food or drink in the Research Room or the adjacent classroom.

The Wake Forest Historical Museum, located in Wake Forest, NC, is a collaborative partnership between the Wake Forest College Birthplace Society, Inc. and Wake Forest University. The Museum connects people with history through education, preservation, and community and shares stories about people, places, and things to foster curiosity and promote an understanding of Wake Forest and our shared heritage. If you have a question for the Wake Forest Historical Museum, please contact wfmuseum@wfu.edu.

Each SCA/WFHM Team member has responsibilities where they focus their attention. Here is a general description of what each Team member does, as well as their title.

• Gianna Caci (Visitors’ Services Associate, WFHM) serves visitors at the Wake Forest Historical Museum on the weekend.
• Craig Fansler (Preservation Librarian) creates boxes for rare books and completes minor repairs on both SCA and General Collection materials.
• Ashelee Gerald Hill (Access & Outreach Archivist) is responsible for answering reference questions, compiling research resources, and assisting with instruction. She also oversees the use of our transcription platform, From the Page.
• Rebecca Petersen May (Head of Public Services for Special Collections & Archives) coordinates our introductory instruction efforts (including Lib100), answers reference questions, schedules the reference desk, and coordinates many of our outreach programs.
• Megan Mulder (Manager of Distinctive and Rare Materials) does in-depth instruction and works closely with faculty to integrate our rare books into their curriculum. She also creates original catalog records for SCA rare materials.
• Isabel Nowak (Visitors’ Services Associate, WFHM) serves visitors at the Wake Forest Historical Museum on the weekend, works with collections, and answers reference questions.
• Marcia Phillips (Metadata Specialist, PT) is creating metadata for our issues of the Biblical Recorder (published by the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina) and other important Baptist collections.
• Kaylin Preslar (Outreach & Reference Archivist) is responsible for outreach, reference, and programmatic initiatives that highlight and preserve Wake Forest University history, including planning for the Wake Forest Bicentennial.
• Carolyn Rice (Manager of Operations & External Relations, WFHM) manages all areas of daily operations of the Museum, including facilities, finances, communications, event rentals, and visitor services.
• Melde Rutledge (Manager of Digital Collections) oversees reproduction requests from our patrons, coordinates our many SCA digitization projects, manages our permanent digital collections and their ingest into access platforms, and supervises students assisting with these projects in the Digitization Lab.
• Sam Sfirri (Head of Archival Collections) accessions and processes collections, supervises those working with archives collections (both digital and physical), and oversees the creation of collection finding aids, which are then made available online.
• Dr. Sarah Soleim (Manager of Community and Academic Learning, WFHM) leads interpretive and educational programming,, manages the collections, and oversees the development, implementation, and evaluation of all public programs for the museum.
• Beth Tedford (Copy Cataloging and Database Maintenance Specialist) reviews catalog records in Alma, creates copy catalog records for SCA materials, and researches donated rare books.
• Kate Trathen (Processing Archivist) is responsible for inventorying and processing high-priority collections, including the Board of Trustees minutes, the Harold McKinnish Papers, and the Wake Forest Audio Reel-to-Reel collection, in addition to others.
• Alayna Veasey (Collections Specialist) coordinates reshelving and shifting projects for our rare books and collections. She handles our physical inventory within the library and at the ZSR Offsite Storage Facility (where she also assists the Public Services Team).
• In addition to managing and supervising Special Collections & Archives and the Wake Forest Historical Museum, Tanya Zanish-Belcher (Director) reviews collections and communicates with donors, raises funds for SCA and WFHM projects, interacts with on-campus and external donors and the WFCBS Board, and develops outreach events and projects with campus and external partners.
• Carolyn Zulandt (Interpretive Fellow, WFHM) develops and implements programs, exhibits, and tours that engage diverse audiences within the museum and the community.

WFHM has nearly 25 volunteers who spend time at the registration desk, registering visitors, assisting with events, cataloging artifacts and collections, and giving tours.

SCA also host volunteers whose projects include conducting research on special projects, drafting timeline entries, researching Baptist records, and writing blog posts. We also could not do everything we do without our many student assistants who scan materials, assist with reference and preservation, or do collection processing and research projects.

Anyone with questions can send requests to archives@wfu.edu. We will have a number of regular fall events coming up, which we will share through calendar invitations, so, please plan to join us!