WKU Archives is staffed by a full time archivist (Suellyn Lathrop) a full time archives assistant (April McCauley) and a 10-hour per week student worker (Jack). We work Monday through Friday 8 to 4:30 and a couple Saturdays each semester.
Suellyn and April spend most of their time processing collections and doing reference work for patrons who come in or contact us by telephone or email. Jack spends his ten hours a week digitizing the stuff that Suellyn and April pile up for him to do.
Processing refers to the act of arranging and describing records so researchers can find what they want and need quickly. Processing can be very time consuming.
Here’s what we are currently processing:
- President Gary Ransdell’s subject files. We are in the “R’s” going through files labeled RedZone, Reorganization, Residence Hall Financing . . . you get the idea.
- Each Monday we digitize audiotapes this past week we did a lot of On Campus interviews from the 1980s and 1990s. These are 2 – 3 minute interviews with faculty and staff on a variety of topics that were played on the radio during basketball half time shows. There are 57 drawers of audiotapes to be digitized. We are up to drawer 30. The next step is to transcribe the tapes . . . any volunteers?
- Jack has been digitizing the On Campus faculty / staff newsletter published from 1991-2000. He has completed the 1991 issues which are now available on TopSCHOLAR – jump to 1991.
- Personnel Files are being cleaned up and made more useful by adding departments and service dates. The results are now available in KenCat when you search for an employee by “surname, first name”.
- Adding newly acquired Potter College departmental records to their respective series – Music programs, History banquet programs, Theatre & Dance posters, Folk studies events
- Regents biographical files
Processing and digitization on demand happens when you ask questions.
Delta Theta Sigma sorority files- Homecoming step show photographs, 1998-1999
- John Vincent correspondence
- Adding context to WKU Forensic Team files