Campuses that focus on applied education and technological innovation prioritize and provide resources to those programs that best prepare students for successful careers. The archivist’s responsibility is to ensure longevity of the college archives through active engagement with career-driven rather than research-focused students and faculty. As the library building at SUNY Canton College of Technology transitioned to a Library Learning Commons space to better serve our students, the College Archives lost focus and attention. Archival files and materials were relocated multiple times and were eventually relegated to a cupboard closet under the bleachers of a former indoor pool. Over the past year and a half, the newly appointed College Archivist implemented a series of initiatives to transform the collection from a literal cupboard under the stairs to a sustainable institutional repository. Two highly successful initiatives that heightened awareness of the campus archives included: (1) focused digital outreach programs, such as storytelling tours with Augmented Reality, and (2) mass digitization and processing of targeted user-driven collections. This poster presentation provides details about the two successful initiatives and examines how an understanding of campus culture plus cross-campus collaboration, especially with the Office of Student Activities and the Office of Admissions, can sustain archival programs for campuses focusing on non-traditional and applied educational programs.
About the Author:
Rachel Santose is Instruction and Assessment Librarian and College Archivist at SUNY Canton College of Technology in Canton, New York. She received her M.A. in History and M.L.S. from Indiana University, Bloomington and her B.A. in History and Civil War Era Studies from Gettysburg College.
