Libraries Event, Exhibit Shine Spotlight on Student Media During Archives Month

Graphic Design by Ariel Romero

The public is invited to join the University Libraries and the School of Journalism and Strategic Media for an Archives Month event Tuesday, Oct. 29 in Mullins Library. A drop-in viewing of the digital services department’s work on digitizing the Razorback yearbook and Arkansas Traveler student newspaper will begin at 4:30 in Room 107. At 5:30, a panel discussion with campus media leaders will be held in Room 130.

“These are two local resources that recount the U of A’s story,” said Martha Anderson, head of the Digital Services Department. “The Arkansas Traveler and the Razorback yearbooks are about community, inclusion, and our way of life. Those two collections tell the day-to-day stories of how we have arrived where we are today. In other words, these works demonstrate how the University of Arkansas represents the best of higher education, advancing Arkansas while building a better world.”

The panel will be moderated by Larry Foley, professor and chair of the School of Journalism and Strategic Media. Panelists will include:

  • Charlie Alison, executive editor for University Relations
  • Beth Dedman, editor-in-chief of Hill Magazine
  • Gerald Jordan, associate professor of print journalism and co-founder of the Lemke Journalism Project
  • Bret Schulte, associate professor of print and multimedia journalism and faculty adviser for the Traveler student newspaper and Hill Magazine
  • Robyn Starling-Ledbetter, director of Student Media and faculty adviser for UATV

“I am thrilled that everyone will soon have access to over 100 years of University of Arkansas history with the digitization of both the Razorback Yearbook and The Arkansas Traveler,” said Starling-Ledbetter. “These collections are a windfall for researchers interested in exploring the diverse stories that make up our history at the university.”

Attendees are also encouraged to view the exhibit Many Voices: Student Publications at the University of Arkansas on Level 2 of Mullins, by the reference desk. The exhibit features a selection of student publications from 1893 to the present, including the first student publication from 1893.

“Student voices are an important part of any university campus,” said Amy Allen, university archivist. “Special Collections is proud to preserve and provide access to the voices of our students.”