Are You Arkansas-Literate?
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Are you Arkansas-literate? 1.) Arkansas takes its name from which Indians: Autumn 2007 Quapaw, Caddo, Cherokee, Osage Volume 1 • Issue 1 2.) From Little Rock, which direction would one drive to reach Camden? 3.) the worst peacetime marine disaster, with 1,443 killed, involved which boat? Mound City, Sultana, Andrea Doria, Lusitania 4.) America’s first black municipal judge was: Scipio A. Jones, M. W. Gibbs, Wiley Branton, Marion Humphrey 5.) Which town is known as the Little Switzerland of America? Petit Jean, Magazine, Harrison, Eureka Springs Newsletter of the University of Arkansas Libraries Special Collections Department 6.) Sam Walton began his retail career with a “Five and Dime” in: Newport, Marianna, Jonesboro, Paragould 7.) the automobile made in Arkansas was the: Special Collections Celebrates Rebel Roadster, Hurricane, Cosmic, Climber COntentS 8.) the first state park in Arkansas was: 40th Anniversary: Please Join Us for Petit Jean, Mount Nebo, Lake Fort Smith, Moro Bay • Special Collections Celebrates 40th Workshops and Open House 9.) the Bowie Knife is believed to have been made at: Anniversary.........................1 Parkin, Hot Springs, Washington, Bigelow 10.) the Baltimore Orioles hall of famer from Little Rock was: • Leadership Report.............2 Special Collections will hold sev- Workshops on preserving family John G. Ragsdale, Preacher Roe, Brooks Robinson, Lon Warneke eral public events, including work- history records will be held on • Joan Watkins to Lead Index shops on preserving family history Saturday, October 20, 2007 at the Answers: 1.) Quapaw, 2.) South, 3.) Sultana, 4.) M. W. Gibbs, 5.) Eureka Springs, Arkansas Project................3 6.) Newport, 7.) Climber, 8.) Petit Jean, 9.) Washington, 10.) Brooks Robinson and oral history and an open house/ Fayetteville Public Library. Ses- • Civil Rights reception, in celebration of the sions will focus on issues in and Digitization Project............4 repository’s 40th anniversary. These methods of preserving documents anniversary events coincide with and photographs and principles • news from the Archives Month 2007. Archives and procedures for capturing oral Manuscripts Unit...............5 Month is celebrated annually nation- history interviews with family • news from the wide to promote public awareness members. An open house, includ- Special Collections Department Research Services Unit......5 of the value of historical records ing refreshments, a short program, University of Arkansas Libraries and the importance of the archival and tours of the Special Collec- 365 north McIlroy Avenue • Architecture Group Visits profession in preserving historical tions repository, will take place on Special Collections.............6 Fayetteville, Arkansas 72701 documents. Thursday, October 25 from 3:00 • Pryor Center expands PM to 5:00 PM. Mission, Goes “High- Registration is Def ”...................................7 not required, and all events are • Photo Gallery— from the Margaret Ross free of charge. Collection.........................8,9 Call 479-575- 5577 for more • Staff Highlights...............10 information. • Annual Report..................12 • A History of Special Veteran Special Collections at the Collections staff University of Arkansas.....14 members Ellen Compton (left) and Andrea Cantrell (right) attending a 1989 conference (HISTORY continuance) from the Arkansas Endowment for library director Royal V. Pope re- the Humanities and the National En- signed, he was succeeded the fol- Leadership Report al Union Catalog of Manuscript dowment for Humanities to tackle lowing year by John A. Harrison, Collections maintained by the the department’s processing backlog. who had a strong interest in rare From the Desk of tom W. Dillard, Library of Congress. This catalog, Significant progress was made in books and first editions. Many Head of the Special Collections Department known as NUCMC, was an im- cataloging the department’s large col- additions to the Rare Book collec- portant tool for locating research lection of historic maps. tion were subsequently acquired, I hope you like our new jour- especially strong right now, for materials in American repositories. The scope of the collections almost all by donation. nal. the Special Collections this year marks the 40th anniver- In the 1970s and 1980s, the expanded during this time to in- The University Libraries were Department is doing amazing sary of the creation of the Special manuscript holdings of Special clude Arkansas business and cultural not in the vanguard of library au- things these days, and I want Collections Department. the Collections grew steadily. Large resources, Arkansas agricultural tomation, and most of the work you to know about them. A history of the University Librar- collections were donated, including history, and the contributions of with manuscripts still required recent photo of the Special ies goes back to the founding the papers of composer William women to Arkansas history. Ex- human labor. When the librar- Collections staff reminded me of the university in 1871, but the Grant Still and politicians Joe T. amples include papers of home ies began to develop Internet how lucky we are to have such Special Collections Department Robinson and Oren Harris, along demonstration clubs and of the resources, Special Collections a fine group of employees, and began in 1967. What better way with many smaller collections. Arkansas Rice Millers and the Tucker started posting finding aids and I want you to meet these folks. to celebrate our entry into middle A federal grant paid salaries of and Wilson family farming busi- other information on the librar- Arkansans, as well as people age than launch a newsletter? temporary processing staff. By nesses. The department also began ies’ Web site. The Internet has from throughout the United We are lucky to have Dr. Di- this time, a significant greatly enlarged the pool States, donate great treasures ane Worrell serving as editor of beginning had been of users of Special Col- to the Special Collections this new journal. Diane is the made in processing the the Internet has greatly lections materials. With Department every year, and I Department’s special projects Tom Dillard department’s picture enlarged the pool of users of on-line finding aids these can’t wait to tell you about the librarian, and she has brought collection. users can often complete We are located on the first level best ones—and show pictures, great skill and gusto to this new Despite Sizer’s Special Collections materials. a simple research project of the Mullins Library. An es- too. undertaking. Although Diane’s success in obtaining by e-mail, without visiting pecially good time to pay us a Please don’t take my words doctorate is in library science, government support the reading room. Staff as boasting, for I do not mean she has professional training visit will be October 25, when for specific projects, the depart- to acquire audio-visual materials, functions were again reorganized it that way. But, my pride is in journalism—and her father, we celebrate American Archives ment was hampered by lack of Month with an open house and sheet music, and photographs. The to accommodate the greater vol- James Featherston, was a Pulitzer funds. For example, a single copy birthday party. You will hear physical layout of the department ume of long-distance research. Prize winning journalist who cov- machine served the entire library, more about this get-together grew steadily as the staff increased. In 2004 Tom Dillard was ap- ered many of the most important as did a single telephone line. Staff later. Processors no longer routinely pointed head of Special Collec- stories of the twentieth century, generally occupied the lowest I realize some of you might interacted with researchers. Gradu- tions. A lifelong proponent of the including the Little Rock integra- rungs of the University’s pay scale. “Arkansian” was the name commonly used tion crisis and the Kennedy assas- not be familiar with the Spe- ally the card catalog was replaced study of Arkansas history, Dillard throughout the 19th century to denote The first two staffers to pursue envisions the department as sup- residents of Arkansas. It was also the name sination. cial Collections Department. I by computerized records, and many training at the National Archives of a prominent Fayetteville newspaper Where did we get the name believe our work is extremely technical processes were assumed by porting the teaching of Arkansas before the Civil War. The name “Arkansan” did so at their own expense and on “Arkansian?,” you are probably important—not only to support the cataloging department. history at all levels. The Pryor evolved from this earlier form. The Arkansian their own time. is published four times a year by the Special asking. It is not a misprint, but the research and study of our Many rare and collectible print Center for Arkansas Oral and Collections Department, University of When Sizer resigned his post in rather is a name our early ances- students and faculty, but to pre- works of Arkansas history, literature, Visual History has recently been Arkansas Libraries. Inquiries should be 1982, he was succeeded by Michael directed to Diane Worrell, University of tors called themselves. In a long serve the historical documenta- and culture have been acquired for assigned to Special Collections, Arkansas Libraries, 365 N. McIlroy Avenue, tion of our state and people. Dabrishus, who had credentials with facilities and staff for creat- Fayetteville, AR. 72701-4002, telephone career that has involved reading the Arkansas Collection, but rare 479/575-5577, fax 479/575-3472, or to old Arkansas documents and Arkansas has a long and as a librarian and archivist. The books have never been a strong ing Arkansas history materials in [email protected]. newspapers, I have seen Arkan- complicated history, and I am staff became more professional, collecting focus of the University digital formats. Dillard is attempt- The Special Collections Department collects, sian used repeatedly. there was honored that the UA Libraries publishing in scholarly and profes- Libraries.