{"id":79301,"date":"2024-11-20T09:25:13","date_gmt":"2024-11-20T14:25:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/earlham.edu\/?p=79301"},"modified":"2025-02-25T10:55:36","modified_gmt":"2025-02-25T15:55:36","slug":"lilly-librarys-hyku-collection-is-moving-digitization-forward-for-earlham","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/earlham.edu\/news-events\/lilly-librarys-hyku-collection-is-moving-digitization-forward-for-earlham\/","title":{"rendered":"Lilly Library moving digitization forward for Earlham"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\"\"
A student worker uses the library’s scanner to digitize and archive materials<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n
\n\t\n\n
\n
\n

Earlham\u2019s Lilly Library has been a pioneering contributor to archival and digitization efforts. That work was recently recognized with a prestigious $248,600 national grant<\/a> given to the Private Academic Library Network of Indiana (PALNI), of which Earlham is a contributing institution. The grant was specifically for further development of Hyku, a digitization platform helping to move digitization efforts forward for Earlham and other colleges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since 2021, Earlham has been a contributor to the Hyku community, providing 5,048 public items and 14 collections to the platform. At the heart of Earlham\u2019s contribution to Hyku is the Friends Collection and College Archives, which houses the institution’s historical records. The archives serve as the official repository for all college-related materials, including photographs, documents, and artifacts, as well as records from committees, departments, and student life. Additionally, the Friends Collection boasts one of the largest Quaker collections in the world, with over 13,000 books and a wealth of pamphlets dating back to the 17th century. These unique collections are invaluable for researchers and the broader community alike.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Earlham has been working for decades to digitize and make our archival collections available to a wider audience,” says Amy Bryant, director of Lilly Library. “One of Earlham’s first digitization projects was the Josiah Parker Papers, which were originally digitized in 2000. Since then, there have been several digitization projects, including multiple student-faculty collaborative research projects.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The grant, awarded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services and co-administered by the Partnership for Academic Library Collaboration and Innovation (PALCI), will ensure that Hyku remains a solution for managing and preserving digital content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe’d heard about plans for Hyku for several years, and we jumped at the chance to use it as soon as it became a reality,\u201d says Jenny Freed, Lilly Library’s director of special collections and archives. She beta-tested Hyku during its development. \u201cOur old system wasn\u2019t really user-friendly. The nice thing about Hyku is that it\u2019s still in development. The amount of progress it\u2019s made in the last four years is incredible. We have a lot of say in recommending features, usability, things like that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Several years ago, Lilly Library moved to digitize Earlham\u2019s newspapers from 2011 onward.  The library needed a new platform to do this. Hyku gave them the opportunity to digitize items much more easily. They\u2019ve also now gone on to start digitizing issues of the Earlhamite, <\/em>the College\u2019s bi-annual magazine, <\/em>explains Freed, and have plans for yearbooks too.<\/em> \u201cSome of our old yearbooks have already been digitized by the Internet Archive. We want to digitize the remaining ones. At some point, I\u2019ll put those up in Hyku.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBy actively contributing to Hyku\u2019s development, Earlham College is helping to create a future where digital collections\u2014whether photographs, manuscripts, or archival records \u2014 are preserved with care, shared widely, and accessible to all,\u201d says Amanda Hurford, PALNI Scholarly Communications Director.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Earlham College\u2019s contributions to the advancement of the Hyku repository platform are noteworthy and showcase its leadership in digital stewardship, dedication to historical preservation, and collaborative approach to information sharing \u2014 all are instrumental in ensuring the long-term accessibility of its own and other institutions\u2019 historical artifacts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Jay Kibble, writer\/editor for Earlham’s Marketing department<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

About Earlham College <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Earlham College and Earlham School of Religion foster a collaborative learning community that inspires and motivates students with transformative opportunities and experiences so they can become catalysts for good in a changing world. Located in Richmond, Indiana, Earlham is one of U.S. News & World Report\u2019s Top 100 national liberal arts colleges and offers one of the top 20 classroom experiences in the nation, according to the Princeton Review.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n\t\n\n

Media contact<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Brian Zimmerman<\/strong>
Interim co-vice president of marketing and communications
<\/em>
Email: zimmebr@earlham.edu
Phone: 765.983.1256<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n