Promoting Archival Material

One of the goals of the Martha Blakeney Hodges Special Collections and University Archives is to promote its many collections to University classes. In early November 2010, Reference Librarian Jenny Dale, sent Interim University Archivist Hermann Trojanowski an e-mail requesting an exhibit tailored especially for the History and Philosophy of Sport and Physical Education (KIN 351) class. Jenny said the class's instructor Pam Kocher Brown wanted to integrate University Archives material into the session and asked that we display vintage items for the class to view.

On November 23rd, fourteen students and two instructors from the KIN 351 class visited the University Libraries' Conference Room where Kathelene Smith and Hermann Trojanowski displayed items from University Archives including twenty-eight photographs of athletics and sports, five yearbooks, and six vintage athletic uniforms such as a 1913 black wool gym suit and 1931 red athletic vest with archival photos of early students wearing the items. The yearbooks from the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s gave the students a visual touchstone with early campus sports.


When the students arrived, Kathelene and Hermann gave an overview of the textiles and other items on display. Then the students viewed the items and asked questions.


At the end of the session, Jenny asked the students to pick one artifact and talk about why it was their favorite. After the students left the Conference Room, they went to the CITI computer lab where they reviewed the UNCG Timeline, which had been created by University Archives staff. Their assignment was to pick two dates and give their reason for those dates being important to them.

This is an excellent example of outreach that the Martha Blakeney Hodges Special Collections and University Archives Department has been conducting in the past few years to promote its collections.