RIT Project to Electronically Catalog Massive Archival Collection
Grant will help archive more than 3,000 cubic feet of unprocessed collections
RIT Archive Collections
This document showing a certificate from RIT’s machine drawing class is one of the thousands of historic artifacts that will be electronically archived on the Web.
The archival material inside Rochester Institute of Technology’s Wallace Library consists of thousands of priceless artifacts, photographs and documents, and each one is carefully maintained by a close-knit staff that considers itself fortunate to be literally immersed in RIT history. And now, some financial assistance from the National Historical Publication and Records Commission will help archivists organize and electronically display information about the collections for the world to see.
RIT Archive Collections recently earned a $70,000 grant to create archival descriptions of a backlog of 3,041 cubic feet of unprocessed collections and make them available on the Web. The goal of the project is to provide online access to descriptive information about the university’s historical collections for the very first time.
“Currently, there is very little publically accessible information on our holdings,” says Becky Simmons, RIT archivist. “Increasing access through public discovery of these primary resources on the Web would allow researchers and students anywhere in the world to read and learn about RIT’s precious holdings while shedding light on the rich history of this university.”
RIT Archive Collections document the 180-year history of science, technology, engineering and visual arts education and features an art collection with works by students, faculty and alumni dating back to 1886. RIT’s role in educating the deaf is documented through the special collections within their Deaf Studies Archive.
For more information about RIT’s Archive Collections, call 585-475-2557.
Topics
Recommended News
-
November 22, 2024
![a group of six students and adults stand in front of a sign bearing logos from R I T and other companies.]()
RIT expands research on circular economy in Southeast Asia with new funding boost
A $1 million grant from the U.S. Department of State will continue the work led by professors Clyde Hull and Eric Williams with entrepreneurships based on circular economy principles in member nations of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
-
November 21, 2024
![Various people put their hands together in a circle.]()
Americans agree more than they might think − not knowing this jeopardizes the nation’s shared values
An essay written by Lawrence Torcello, associate professor in the Department of Philosophy, published by The Conversation.
-
November 21, 2024
![an illustrated image of a pixelated face appears next to the words real or fake.]()
Detecting digital deception
Today, artificial intelligence is being used to manipulate media. At RIT, a team of student and faculty researchers is leading the charge to help journalists and intelligence analysts figure out what is real and what is fake. Their work has more than $2 million in funding from the National Science Foundation and Knight Foundation.
-
November 21, 2024
![two men sit at a table looking at a laptop. A third man leans over the table to look at the laptops screen.]()
In and out of Africa
Africa is rich in natural resources and contains one of the most diverse ecosystems across the globe. The Sahara Desert itself is larger than the continental United States. With all the unique landscapes, wildlife, and growing urban areas, more than 30 RIT faculty have recognized the importance of traveling to the continent, all backed by RIT Global.
