Special Collections Awarded $75,000 Grant from National Aviation Heritage Alliance

Posted on April 17, 2024 by specialcollections

We are thrilled to announce that Special Collections & Archives (SCA) has been awarded a $75,000 grant from the National Aviation Heritage Alliance (NAHA)! The grant-funded project will upgrade SCA facilities, which will aid in the preservation and security of our collections and enhance the overall aesthetics of the reading room. 

The overall estimated cost of the project is $204,000. The additional money to round out project funds (and grant match) comes with the gracious support of the Wright State Friends of the Libraries Foundation, with the primary donor being the late Karen Pittman, who was a long-time SCA volunteer.

SCA is on the 4th floor of the Paul Laurence Dunbar Library, and our collections storage area is surrounded by windows, as well as an open atrium on one side, exposing the area to light damage and temperature and humidity fluctuations.  This project will close in the collections storage area from the atrium with a glass wall; add UV filter film and window treatments to the new glass wall, as well as to existing windows and exhibit cases; and change fluorescent lighting to LED.  These improvements will help to control environmental conditions that accelerate the deterioration of archival material.

In addition, the front entry door to SCA will receive an upgrade.  The current wooden door has been in use for nearly 50 years.  A new door with swipe card access will better control entry into the space, improving security. 

Lastly, the furnishings in the reading room have been in use for nearly 25 years.  In addition to being a reading room, the space serves as a classroom and a special event space for the University and the community.  The space appears in advertisements, promotional videos, news stories, and documentaries; therefore, an upgrade to our furnishings will aid in our promotion and marketing.   All these upgrades fit into the overall plan for renovating SCA.

We are so excited for all the positive changes on the horizon, and we hope you are too!

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New Exhibit & Online Gallery Highlight 1974 Xenia Tornado

Posted on March 20, 2024 by specialcollections

Fifty years ago – on April 3, 1974 – an F-5 tornado tore through the heart of Xenia, killing 33 people and injuring more than 1,300 others. It bulldozed a path more than a half-mile wide, destroying or damaging more than 1,400 buildings, including 1,200 homes, dozens of businesses, 10 churches, and several schools. By the time it lifted into the sky near Cedarville, it left behind more than $100 million of damage in Greene County.

The Xenia tornado was part of a super outbreak, when 148 twisters swept across several states, killing 335 people in a 16-hour period on April 3-4, 1974. It still ranks as one of the largest natural disasters in American history, with Xenia the hardest hit community.

A new exhibit in our reading room commemorates the 1974 Xenia tornado, with photographs from our Dayton Daily News Archive. The exhibit was created by one of our student assistants, Darrell Blevins, who is also a graduate student in the Wright State University Master of History, Public History concentration, which trains future archivists and museum professionals.

Xenia Tornado 50th Anniversary Exhibit by Darrell Blevins

In addition to a curated display of photographs and information, more than 100 additional tornado photographs will also available for visitors to browse during their visit. No appointment is needed, just stop by any time during our open hours. This exhibit is free and open to the public.

Archival photo binders with more than 100 additional pictures will also be available for visitors to browse if they wish. No appointment (and no gloves!) required.

This exhibit will be available through at least the end of April 2024.

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A more permanent and widely accessible visual resource is our 1974 Xenia Tornado online gallery in CORE Scholar, the university’s institutional repository. This online resource, available for free worldwide to anyone with internet access, includes more than 50 specially selected photographs, also from the Dayton Daily News Archive.

Screen shot of CORE Scholar 1974 Xenia tornado online gallery landing page

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Additional sources of interest for history of the 1974 Xenia tornado:

If you have questions about the exhibit, the digital gallery, the tornado, or anything else, please don’t hesitate to contact us!

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SCA Head Jane Wildermuth Named Interim University Librarian

Posted on March 7, 2024 by Lisa Rickey

Please join us in congratulating Jane Wildermuth, our Head of Special Collections & Archives, on being named Interim University Librarian here at the Wright State University Libraries.

The email communication below was sent this afternoon by Dr. Amy Thompson, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, and we look forward to a WSU News Room article coming out soon!

Jane Wildermuth

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Dear Colleagues,

I am pleased to announce that Jane Wildermuth, head of Special Collections and Archives in the Wright State University Libraries, has agreed to serve as interim university librarian. Ms. Wildermuth will oversee the University Libraries’ daily operations until a permanent university librarian is appointed.

She replaces Karen Wilhoit, who retired at the end of February.

Ms. Wildermuth has worked for the Wright State University Libraries for 25 years. In 2020, she was named the head of Special Collections and Archives, overseeing Wright State’s world-class historical collections, digitization projects for the Libraries and Wright State, and CORE Scholar, the university’s institutional repository.

Ms. Wildermuth joined the University Libraries in 1999 as an archivist in Special Collections and Archives. In 2006, she created and served as the head of Digital Initiatives and Repository Services.

Please join me in welcoming Jane Wildermuth to her new role at Wright State University.

Best, Amy Thompson, Ph.D.
Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs

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If you would like to contact Jane directly to share your congratulations, view Jane’s contact information in the university directory.

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