Utah State University Eastern has completed a collections preservation project using a $5,000 Utah Collections Preservation Grant to improve the storage and accessibility of historical archives held within its Library & Learning Commons.
Grant funds archive improvements
The funding allowed the Eastern Special Collections & Archives (ESCA) to purchase new shelving for a recently added workroom and acquire archival-safe materials designed to protect delicate items from light, dust, and age. Aimee Lauritsen, the archives and special collections manager at USU Eastern, said the project addressed previous issues where several collections lacked proper storage and a completed inventory.
Targeted regional collections preserved
The preservation efforts targeted several regional collections, including scrapbooks from the College of Eastern Utah Alumni Office dating from 1938 to 1999, Castle Valley Community Theatre scrapbooks from 1957 to 1997, and debate scrapbooks from Carbon College and the College of Eastern Utah. Staff also used archival-safe boxes to preserve student actor and production files, as well as alumni member files.
New dedicated research space
The new workroom in LLC 103 now serves as a dedicated space for research assistance, collection organization, and preservation work. These improvements are intended to enhance the experience for researchers using the Lee Reading Room in LLC 108, which houses collections such as the J. Bracken Lee Collection and College of Eastern Utah yearbooks.
Statewide humanities preservation initiative
The grant is part of a broader statewide effort by the Utah Division of Arts & Museums and Utah Humanities to establish the Utah Collections Preservation program. This state-supported initiative, which also receives funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities, provides training and workshops for humanities collections stewards across the state.
Ongoing need for preservation
While the specific grant project is nearing completion, Lauritsen noted that much work remains to properly preserve and inventory additional collections. She emphasized that the preservation of these materials is vital for both the university and the broader Carbon and Emery County communities.
