August 31, 2009

Archives often have backlogs of materials that have not been fully classified, described or indexed; these collections are called 'hidden' because they are difficult or impossible for researchers to use. Philadelphia Area Consortium of Special Collections Libraries (PACSCL) has received a grant from Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR) for thePACSCL's Hidden Collections Project.

This two year endeavor will make accessible over 140 hidden collections at 24 different libraries and archives in the area. Drexel University Archives is one of them! Three of the Archives collections will be processed as part of the PACSCL grant in order for researchers, scholars and students to have easier access to materials. The three collections are:

1: Library Records This collection contains information on the construction of Hagerty Library, including building plans, annual reports from various departments within the library, as well as staff meeting minutes, correspondence, pamphlets of library events and exhibitions.

2. College of Engineering Records The collection consists of annual reports, correspondence of faculty and administration in the department, staff meeting minutes, reports and other records pertaining to individual departments within the college.

3. Evening College Records This collection is comprised of annual reports, details of the activities and accomplishments of the program, reports on topics such as student employment; faculty meeting minutes; lists of faculty and personnel directories; subject files; and faculty guides.

We'll post updates about the processing on this blog as the project moves forward.