Help us save Washburn history by digitizing nearly 120 years of our school yearbook, The Kaw, and creating a searchable online database that allows students, faculty, alumni and their families to enjoy these Washburn treasures!
Need:
The 150th anniversary celebration generated and will continue to generate much interest in Washburn’s history. One amazing source of this history is The Kaw yearbook collection, which contains outstanding photographs and stories of Washburn students, campus activities and events. Currently, these resources are only available in person (and by appointment) at the University Archives, and some are in increasingly fragile condition. But, if this rich history was available digitally on the Washburn website, it would create a more sustainable record of Washburn history that supports both scholarly and genealogical research.
Rationale:
Digitizing all the editions of The Kaw is a massive and costly undertaking. The University Archives does not have the equipment to scan such a high volume of sensitive archival documents, and we do not have enough staff to complete this project in-house.
Funds raised for this project will help Mabee Library outsource the digitization of the entire collection of Kaw yearbooks to a company that specializes in handling fragile and unique materials. This method is cost-effective, and most of all, timely – cutting digitization time down to just 2-3 months. This will allow University Archives staff to focus on organizing materials and creating an engaging web presence for users of Washburn history.
Help us save Washburn history and make it accessible to all by making your donation to this project today!
