This year Special Collections & Archives (SC&A) has been very fortunate to collaborate with students from Wright State University’s New Media Incubator to create a video series on Miami Valley history using our archival collections. The project would not have happened without the gracious support and funding from the Friends of the Libraries (FOL). The FOL grant allowed two New Media Incubator students, Amanda Harris and Nicholas Greene, to work with Dr. Jennifer Ware, Associate Professor in the Department of Communication, to produce short films featuring SC&A.
The result of the collaboration between the students, SC&A, and the University Libraries is a five episode series, entitled “In the Archives,” that uses archival material to share the stories of Miami Valley individuals and historical events that impacted both the local area and the world. Topics include the Wright Brothers and Huffman Prairie, the Apollo 11 Moon Landing, Paul Laurence Dunbar (the Library’s namesake), and Women’s Suffrage.
“In the Archives-Suffrage, Part I,” the fourth video in the series, is now available. This is the first of two videos examining Women’s Suffrage in the Miami Valley.
The first film in the series, “In the Archives-Huffman Prairie” debuted in March and looks at the Wright Brothers and Huffman Prairie, located just a short distance from Wright State University.
On July 20, 1969, the world paused to witness Neil Armstrong, a native of Wapakoneta, Ohio, and Edwin E. “Buzz” Aldrin, Jr., land on the moon. The “In the Archives-Space” examines the United States space program and space collections available here in SC&A.
Dayton’s own Paul Laurence Dunbar is internationally recognized for his contributions to the literary world with his poetry, novels, short stories, and lyrics. In 1992, Wright State University’s Main Library was renamed in honor of Dunbar. The “In the Archives-Paul Laurence Dunbar” episode explores his life and legacy.
We hope you enjoy the videos! Please check back in December for the premiere of “In the Archives-Suffrage, Part 2.” All of the collections featured in the videos can be viewed by visiting the SC&A reading room located on the 4th floor of Dunbar Library.
