Our Preservation week will be April 22-26 and will be hosted in the library in the Killian Building on our Henderson Campus (140 Alumni Way, Flat Rock, NC 28731). Our theme is complimentary of the American Library Association's Preservation Week theme. Theirs is Preserving Identities, and ours is Preserving Voices.
Preservation Week is observed annually, in the last week of April. This year it will be marked from April 22 to 26. It is a national campaign to help boost the awareness of collecting written material and artifacts and their preservation. Preservation week acquaints the general public with conservation expertise and information, connecting individuals, families, and communities to public collections. The Society of American Archivists, the Library of Congress, the American Library Association, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, and several other heritage organizations endorse and observe Preservation Week.
Events/Programs:
Tuesday (4/23): A Great American Tapestry (Documentary Screening)
Start Time: 12:30pm
A documentary made by David Weintraub, Executive Director of the Center for Cultural Preservation. We will be showing the 57 minute version. The film covers the history of Appalachian music and the many cultures that have contributed to its unique sound. David will share a few words about the documentary before the screening as well as lead a discussion about it after it ends.
Wednesday (4/24): Local History Fair
10am-3pm
26 local history organizations will have tables exhibiting either their organization's history and the work they do or the history they are dedicated to preserving. The fair is meant to highlight all the wonderful preservation work being done in our community by a variety of people and just how many stories and voices they help protect. There will also be handouts available for people to take with them about preserving their own personal/family history if they don't know where to start.
Thursday (4/25): Community Scanning Day
10am-2pm
The archive will have scanning stations set up in the library for people who want to digitize small batches of photographs, documents, and newspaper clippings. Being able to make quality digital copies of your most valuable family memories and records is a very important preservation step, and we want to offer that service to our community. How long we are able to work on a single person's records will depend on how many people are waiting to be helped. If we are very busy, we will cap time slots to 30 minutes per person. We digitization services are open year round, so if people want to digitize a large quantity of records or photographs, I encourage them to email me (r_quinn150@blueridge.edu) or call me (828-694-4713) to set up an appointment outside of scanning day.
Friday (4/26): Hamtramck, USA (Documentary Screening)
Start Time: 1pm
Our second documentary and final event will be a screening of Hamtramck, USA. The documentary provides an "on the ground" view of a mayoral election cycle in a multicultural community. This type of documentary is a great example of how documentaries can be used to preserve and highlight multiple perspectives and voices and give a more holistic understanding of what people are thinking and feeling during an event.
