Welcome Call:
The James B. Duke Memorial Library at Johnson C. Smith University (JCSU) hosted the Diversity Archivist Partnership (DAP) Fall Institute from October 8th-10th. The institute provided students from JCSU, Allen University, Bennett College, Claflin University, and Shaw University the opportunity to explore a wide range of career opportunities within the fields of Library Science, Archives, and Conservation and receive hands-on archival training. Dr. Karen D. Morgan, Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, opened the institute with greetings and a haiku. Dr. Keyunda Miller-McCollum, Director of Library at Shaw University and a guest speaker at the institute, led the conversation around diversity in the profession. Zakiya Collier, former Digital Archivist at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, also spoke and provided essential information on how archives are used, with an emphasis on web archiving projects.
On the second day of the institute interns received hands-on training in processing collections from Monika Rhue, Library Director and Project PI, as well as an overview of Digitization from Kristen Merryman, Digital Projects Librarian at the North Carolina Digital Heritage Center.
Kristen Merryman, Digital Projects Librarian
Hands-on workshop- Shaw University participants
Hands-on workshop-Bennett College participants
Left to right: Erin Matthews, Alex Crosslen, and Arnold Bhebhe
The third and final day of the institute ended with presentations from students who participated in the Winterthur/University of Delaware summer internship program in Art Conservation, in partnership with the HBCU Library Alliance. The program provides opportunities for undergraduate students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities to learn about library preservation and conservation. Arnold Bhebhe from Alabama State University, Alex Crosslen from Benedict College, and Erin Matthews from Hampton University delivered outstanding presentations on their internship experiences, which included working on collections at Yale University, the Library of Congress, and the University of Virginia.
The Diversity Archivist Partnership (DAP) is a three-year grant, funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program. The purpose of the DAP program is to develop and execute a training and internship program that introduces undergraduate students from Historically Black Colleges or Universities (HBCUs) to a wide range of careers and opportunities in the library science profession. The program aims to address the diversity gap in the field, with a particular emphasis on archives and preservation in an effort to provide support to HBCU libraries and archives with unprocessed and hidden collections.
A special thank you goes out to Mrs. Barbara Carr, Keisha Parris, and the project Co-PIs, Brandon Lunsford and Dr. Tekla Johnson. Keisha Parris will serve as the Site Coordinator for the project here at Johnson C. Smith University. We appreciate the support from President Clarence D. Armbrister, Dr. Karen D. Morgan, the Business Office, and the Office of Government Sponsored Programs and Research for ensuring the success of the DAP 2021 Fall Institute.