Founding of Historically Black Colleges and Universities
Celebrated
Online Collection Includes More Than 1,000 Scanned Items from
HBCU Institutions
First Normal graduating
class, 1886. Virginia Normal and Collegiate Institute later, Virginia
State University
Ithaca, NY (BlackNews.com) - The first digital collection of
documents and materials chronicling the founding of America's
historically black colleges and universities is now available online at
contentdm.auctr.edu.
"A Digital Collection Celebrating the Founding of the Historically
Black College and University" includes more than 1,000 scanned
photographs, manuscripts, letters and publications from 10 institutions
designated as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU).
The project, which was funded by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation,
represents the first collaborative effort by HBCU libraries to make a
historical collection digitally available. The online collection, which
is hosted by the Robert W. Woodruff Library of the Atlanta University
Center, is the product of a partnership between the HBCU Library
Alliance, HBCU institutions, the Southeastern Library Network (SOLINET)
and Cornell University.
The contents of the collection date back to the early 1800s and
include campus charters, student yearbooks, early campus architectural
drawings, and a rich assortment of photographs featuring first
presidents, graduating classes, famous alumni and churches, which often
served as the first classrooms at several of these institutions.
"This is an excellent resource for scholars and others interested in
understanding the importance of institutions of higher learning founded
by African-Americans. It offers direct access to original documents and
images chronicling the story of these institutions, which are usually
only available to researchers by travel to the institutions themselves,"
said Dorothy Autrey, chair of the history and political science
department at Alabama State University.
"The HBCU digital library collection opens the door to an area of the
African-American experience, which can now receive the study and
attention it deserves -- the amazing contributions of historically black
colleges and universities in the general struggle of a people for
freedom and equality."
The online collection features materials from Alabama State
University, Atlanta University Center, Bennett College for Women, Fisk
University, Grambling State University, Hampton University, Southern
University, Tuskegee University, Tennessee State University and Virginia
State University.
To view materials from the collection, go to
contentdm.auctr.edu. For more information about the partnership and
the HBCU Library Alliance digital library initiative, visit
www.hbculibraries.org/html/programs.html
About HBCU Library Alliance
The HBCU Library Alliance is a consortium that supports the
collaboration of institutions dedicated to providing resources designed
to strengthen the libraries of Historically Black Colleges and
Universities and their constituents. The purpose of the HBCU Alliance is
to ensure the excellence in HBCU Libraries and the development,
coordination, and promotion of programs and activities to enhance member
libraries.
