The Archives: A Summary

October is American Archives Month, a time dedicated to showcasing archived collections of valuable historical documents around the country. While researching for American Archives Month, I quickly realized how unaware I was of the usefulness and thoroughness of OSU's archives. That being said, I figured I was not the only person on campus who could benefit from a quick review of the archival units at Oklahoma State.

Government Documents:

This department is, you guessed it, a depository of government documents! Various materials including agricultural statistics and presidential economic reports can be found in Government Documents. The department also contains state, national and international government publications.

Government Documents is a useful resource for any Oklahoma State student or faculty member looking to delve deeper into the history of the world's governments. In addition to documenting the past, the Government Documents department sheds light on current government events on the Gov Docs blog. As a student, I enjoy the department's blogposts because they simplify current government activities and relate them back to past archived material. The blog is a great way to engage readers. In fact, I registered to vote shortly after reading the National Voter Registration Day post this past September!

Maps & Spatial Data:

With over 150,000 sheet maps, 80,000 aerial photographs and hundred of atlases, Maps & Spatial Data is a vast resource for all things maps. The majority of the collected maps focus on Oklahoma, but there are also maps of neighboring states, the nation and the world as a whole.

Maps & Spatial Data also offers workshops that teach people how to make, manipulate and understand maps. The department not only houses thousands of tangible maps, but is also currently digitizing many documents in order to make them more accessible through online research. Head to the basement of Edmon Low to visit the department and expand your knowledge of maps.

Oklahoma Oral History Research Program:

Otherwise known as OOHRP, the Oklahoma Oral History Research Program documents history through oral interviews. By interviewing people who were a part of past historical events, OOHRP is able to fill the gaps of history that are often forgotten in written testimonies.

The program was founded in 2007 and since then has made history accessible to students and faculty of Oklahoma State through interviews. OOHRP is an innovative tool that teaches people about the value of interview-based research, something that can be easier to absorb compared to written materials. OOHRP also has a twitter account and podcast that makes the oral research as readily available as possible.

The Archives:

The Archives is a vast collection of historical documents that detail the history of the university, the state and the nation. The Archives contains rare manuscripts, photographs and more that are excellent research materials for Oklahoma State students and faculty.

The Archives aims to make history both accessible and user-friendly for all members of the OSU family. Any historical document related to the management, operations and mission of OSU can be found in The Archives. You can access archived documents in The Archives office on the second floor of Edmon Low, as well as on the departmental page of the Library website.

If you're anything like me, you've probably realized that the archived material at OSU is larger you initially thought. It blew me way to discover the various archive departments and the resources that each branch offers. From historical maps to interviews with past Pistol Petes, Oklahoma State University Libraries provides the Cowboy community with a look into the past.


Posted by Tatum Wallace, Electronic Communications Intern for OSU Library Communications

Amplified Oklahoma

This year, we have delved into technologies that can produce new learning and research experiences for the future-focused library, but we haven’t yet included the integration of history in this innovation dialogue.

A prime example of how the OSU Library is taking on the task of combining past and future is the "Amplified Oklahoma" podcast.

"Amplified Oklahoma", which was launched in May 2016, is an academic podcast produced by students and faculty members in the Oklahoma Oral History Research Program. It tells stories of Oklahoma people, places and cultures. The production of interviews and videos over these topics is an innovative way of spreading information about Oklahoma history using modern methods of distribution.

"Amplified Oklahoma" is largely student-involved in its operations. The library interns develop content for the podcasts based on what the OOHRP collections have to offer on the designated topic. Once a topic has been selected, they audit related interviews, write the script and edit the audio selections to make the final podcast.

Themes for the podcast generally follow topics that are prominent at the time they are published. For instance, a podcast about tornadoes and their effect on Oklahoma was sent out in May, the month when the state’s most notable storms have taken place. This method allows the library to participate in pertinent dialogue and present interesting, relevant material that will pull the audience back to the OSU Library collections.

By making material interactive and digestible, the OSU Library aspires to increase student engagement in the OOHRP department. They have found the most successful way to connect students with historic information is to place it in front of them and make it easily accessible through digital collections.

It is important for libraries of the future to have a program like the "Amplified Oklahoma" podcast because historians have the difficult task of keeping historical topics relevant in the fast-paced, futuristic conversations of the 21st century. It is uncommon for today’s students to actively search for history, so "Amplified Oklahoma" makes learning easier by allowing effortless listening of podcasts on interesting topics.

"Amplified Oklahoma" podcasts can currently be found on SoundCloud, Itunes and Stitcher.