Bowling Green’s WKU Special Collections Library Hosting “Preserving Your Family Treasures” Event
Bowling Green – WKU Special Collections Library is set to host a riveting event titled “Preserving Your Family Treasures,” aimed at spreading awareness about the care and preservation of crucial documents, photographs, books, and manuscripts that form an essential part of family legacies. The occasion will take place at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, May 1, in room 212 inside the Raymond Cravens Library.
Preservation in the Age of Digitization
Joseph Shankweiler, associate professor and special collections catalog librarian at WKU, expressed the significance of this event in the era of rapid digitization. Stressing that physical personal collections are instrumental in preserving our history, he remarked, “With more and more things turning digital, it is important to know how to preserve physical personal collections.”
Practical Guidance and Education
Attendees at the event will receive practical tips and basic instructions on how to maintain diplomas, books, photographs, and other invaluable items. Alongside, they will gain knowledge about the preservation methods employed by the WKU Special Collections Library and will learn about hazards that could result if people fail to adequately monitor their collection’s environment. “We just aim to encourage the conservation of rare materials,” said Shankweiler.
A Momentous Collaboration
In addition to the event, the Special Collections Library’s recent collaboration with the History department was highlighted by Shankweiler. Celebrating the unpredictability of his role and responsibilities, from reference services to building rapport with faculty and staff, Shankweiler stated, “I love my job because it is unpredictable from one day to the next.”
National Library Preservation Week
The “Preserving Your Family Treasures” event comes as part of the National Library Preservation Week, running from April 25 to May 4 this year. This annual initiative was first instituted in 2010 to address the needs exposed by a 2004 national survey indicating that approximately “1.3 billion items in collections needed treatment to reduce the risk and rate of damage.”
Promoting Preservation Among All
Offering free admission to everyone, this unique educational opportunity seeks to enable current generations to protect and pass on their cherished family legacies in the best condition possible. Learning from experts on the subject, attendees will emerge better equipped to conserve those precious artefacts which, in many cases, represent the history and essence of their families.
In expressing hope for the event’s success and the potential for similar outreach in the future, Shankweiler underscored the importance of events like “Preserving Your Family Treasures”. By focusing on preserving such significant material, we can ensure understanding and appreciation of our history across generations, contributing profoundly to cultural preservation on a wider scale.
