volume 7, issue 2 fall 2019 heritage highlights › files ›...
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W E S T E R N L I B R A R I E S H E R I T A G E R E S O U R C E S
Volume 7, Issue 2
Heritage Highlights Fall 2019
New Digital Collections Platform 1 & 4
Director’s Letter 2
Winter 2020 Distinguished Speaker 2
Enhancing Access Through Digital Exhibits 3
Acknowledgments 4
I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E :
Newsletter content contributed by Annie Avila, Elizabeth Joffrion, Rozlind Koester, Ruth Steele, Tony Kurtz, and Clarissa Mansfield.
Edited by Rozlind Koester. Contact: [email protected]; (360) 650-7534; library.wwu.edu/hr.
Specific Heritage Resources collections currently in
MABEL include:
Associated Students of WWU Archival Records
Board of Trustees of WWU Meeting Minutes
Campus History Collection
Charts & Engravings of Vancouver’s Expeditions
Galen Biery Photographs
Klipsun Yearbooks
KVOS Channel 12 Films
Vehicle Research Institute Historical Records
Wallie V. Funk Photographs
Western Front Historical Collection
WWU Centennial Oral History Project Records
Women’s Recreation Association Records
And many more!
We are also continuing to develop new collections
as well as migrating legacy content over to the new
platform.
Earlier this fall, Western’s Multimedia Archives
Based Electronic Library (MABEL) became available
to the university and broader community. This cen-
tral repository allows for online discovery, sharing,
and preservation of Western's digital assets, which
include images, video and sound recordings, and
textual documents. You can check out MABEL now
at the following link: mabel.wwu.edu.
MABEL was developed to provide increased and
improved access to online digital content in support
of communications, research, and teaching & learn-
ing activities. It also supports more effective
“behind the scenes” management of unique materi-
als and valuable digital assets created by or man-
aged by Heritage Resources and other contributing
departments of Western. It is the result of an inten-
sive, multi-year cross-campus university partnership
involving numerous stakeholders, content creators,
archivists, and library professionals.
N e w D i g i t a l C o l l e c t i o n s P l a t f o r m
( M A B E L ) N o w A v a i l a b l e
~ “MABEL” continued on page 4
Screenshot image of MABEL’s landing page showing search
box and options to browse by collection or by format.
P a g e 2 H e r i t a g e H i g h l i g h t s
preted. When we acquire a collection we engage
in an act of shared stewardship and public trust.
Within that context, we recognize that our com-
munity increasingly expects to find these histori-
cal resources online using the best technology
available.
In these pages you will read of a new and excit-
ing access tool, MABEL, that will exponentially
increase public access to a range of digitized
content, including photographs, video, and oral
histories. I am so proud of the Heritage Re-
sources staff who were and continue to be in-
volved in the development of MABEL. In acknowl-
edgement of this work, the interdisciplinary
group that developed the platform recently re-
ceived Western’s prestigious Team Recognition
Award. This award recognizes cooperation and
open communication on a collaborative project
that makes a significant contribution to the Uni-
versity. GO TEAM MABEL! We will be adding new
content regularly, so if you haven’t done so al-
ready, check out MABEL and let us know what
you think. Happy researching.
~ Elizabeth Joffrion
Director of Heritage Resources
As Western’s academic year moves into full
swing, I am reminded of how fortunate I am to
work in a profession dedicated to the documen-
tation of history, the arts, and the natural envi-
ronment. In this work I am supported by a dedi-
cated and passionate staff who provide steward-
ship of the university’s archival, manuscript, and
rare book collections, and work collectively to
preserve and make accessible a range of histori-
cal resources for use by our faculty, students,
and community members. This work happens
across three divisions: the Center for Pacific
Northwest Studies, University Archives, and Spe-
cial Collections. Each unit holds unique materials
that are critical to understanding the history of
our community, region, and world, as well as how
Western became the thriving teaching and learn-
ing institution we know today.
Providing access to these historical and cultural
resources is fundamental to our success. We
believe this work is best accomplished in part-
nership with our patrons and donors, particularly
since the materials in our collections also belong
to the communities that created them, who have
a vested interest in how they are used and inter-
D i r e c t o r ’ s L e t t e r
2 0 2 0 H e r i t a g e R e s o u r c e s
D i s t i n g u i s h e d S p e a k e r H i l l e l S m i t h
Typography" on Tuesday, January 14, 2020 at
4:00pm in the Wilson Reading Room. Through a
multimedia presentation, Smith will cover the four
thousand year development of the Hebrew alpha-
bet from its invention to the present, focusing on
how technology and geography have shaped the
way Jews practice and think about holy texts.
Contact David Schlitt, Judaica Project Archivist, for
more information ([email protected] / (360)
650-3193).
How have changing technologies – from the scroll
to the codex, the invention of paper and the print-
ing press, to the inventions of the modern era –
changed the ways that Judaism is studied and
practiced? What insights can typography offer into
Jewish communal identity and relations? What
have been the roles of nationalism and romanti-
cism, assimilation and cultural exchange, in the
development of Hebrew typography?
Los Angeles-based artist and designer Hillel Smith
will give a talk entitled "A Brief History of Jewish
O u t o f t h e B o x : E n h a n c i n g A c c e s s
T h r o u g h D i g i t a l E x h i b i t s
A selection of primary sources related to the devel-
opment of Bellingham, created in 2003-2004 in
conjunction with the Bellingham Centennial celebra-
tions, is also available online. This carefully selected
assortment of historical photographs, maps, and
documents provides a sense of local and regional
history from over a century ago. The site also pre-
sents suggested lesson plans which educators and
students may use to supplement and enhance their
teaching, learning, and research activities.
Efforts to develop our online exhibits are ongoing.
Western student Annie Avila is currently engaged in
an independent study project that utilizes existing
digitized sources and text from our recent “To the
Mountaintop: a Social History of Mountaineering,”
which explores the complex relationship between
mountaineering and issues of gender, race, and
class. Annie summarizes her time spent on the pro-
ject as follows: "Working with OMEKA to digitize 'To
the Mountaintop' has been such an enlightening
and fulfilling experience. Technology is the future of
history, material culture, and special collections;
being a part of that movement is going to ensure
that history and exhibitions are available for all peo-
ple to learn from. And, the skills I’ve gained will di-
rectly feed into my career goals in which I hope to
work in the museum or special collections environ-
ment."
Heritage Resources’ OMEKA exhibits can be viewed
at the following link: heritageresources.omeka.net/
exhibits.
In addition to making digital content more readily
available online through the MABEL platform, Herit-
age Resources’ staff have also used the OMEKA
platform to offer several online exhibits featuring
curated selections from our collections. These in-
clude, for example, “Through the Lens of Wallie V.
Funk,” an introduction to photographs taken by the
noted and prolific Pacific Northwest journalist. Dur-
ing his career, Funk photographed a diverse and
eclectic range of subjects, including several U.S.
Presidents, the Beatles’ and Rolling Stones’ con-
certs in Seattle, the 1970 Penn Cove whale capture,
community events, and military activities on Whid-
bey Island.
Another online exhibit entitled “Plenty of Things to
Do” explores the work and legacy of award-winning
children’s author and illustrator Doris Burn. A long-
time resident of the San Juan Islands, Doris
(Wernstedt) Burn was a self-taught writer and artist
who sought specifically to engage with the needs,
interests, and creativity of a younger audience. Her
work has proven beloved across generations, includ-
ing the 1965 classic Andrew Henry’s Meadow, as
well as much-loved favorites The Summerfolk and
The Tale of Lazy Lizard Canyon. The exhibit features
Burn’s original manuscripts and artistic works, invit-
ing viewers of all ages to consider and enjoy the
ways in which her creative output continues to con-
nect and inspire as classic children’s book writing
and illustration.
P a g e 3 V o l u m e 7 , I s s u e 2
Photograph of Mick Jagger performing at the Seattle King-
dome in October 1981. Wallie V. Funk photographs, CPNWS.
Photograph of Mount Baker and Roosevelt Glacier, early-
1900s, Henry C. Engberg photographs, CPNWS.
“ M A B E L ” ( ~ c o n t i n u e d f r o m P a g e 1 )
Content in MABEL can be used to support and ena-
ble:
Academic and scholarly research
Primary source instruction
Preservation of digital assets
Marketing & outreach activities
The name MABEL is in part an homage to Mabel
Zoe Wilson, Western's first full-time librarian and the
namesake of the Wilson Library building, which is
still part of Western Libraries’ main complex. Mabel
Zoe Wilson served as librarian from 1902-1945.
Tasked with creating a library from virtually nothing,
she worked for over four decades to grow, catalog,
and organize the collections, initiate services, and
teach students effective library use.
Work to further develop and refine MABEL will con-
tinue as a team of web developers and content ex-
perts make additional improvements. Interested in
providing feedback to help enhance the display and
function of MABEL? Feel free to contact us at
URL for more information: mabel.wwu.edu.
Photograph of Mabel Zoe Wilson.
Screenshot from MABEL's landing page that lists “Featured”
and “Recently Added” options.
A c k n o w l e d g e m e n t s
or phone 360-650-3283. Donations can also be
made online or by mail to the Western Foundation,
MS-9034, Western Washington University, 516
High St, Bellingham, WA 98225-9034. Please des-
ignate your contribution to Western Libraries and
identify “Heritage Resources” as the program you
wish to support.
We would like to thank our volunteers and student
employees for all they do in support of Heritage
Resources. We would also like to thank the many
individuals, families, and organizations who have
made generous monetary gifts and contributions of
collection materials. To donate to Heritage Re-
sources, please email [email protected]