W E S T E R N L I B R A R I E S H E R I T A G E R E S O U R C E S

Volume 7, Issue 2

Heritage Highlights Fall 2019

New Digital Collections Platform 1 & 4

Director’s Letter 2

Winter 2020 Distinguished Speaker 2

Enhancing Access Through Digital Exhibits 3

Acknowledgments 4

I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E :

Newsletter content contributed by Annie Avila, Elizabeth Joffrion, Rozlind Koester, Ruth Steele, Tony Kurtz, and Clarissa Mansfield.

Edited by Rozlind Koester. Contact: Heritage.Resources@wwu.edu; (360) 650-7534; library.wwu.edu/hr.

Specific Heritage Resources collections currently in

MABEL include:

Associated Students of WWU Archival Records

Board of Trustees of WWU Meeting Minutes

Campus History Collection

Charts & Engravings of Vancouver’s Expeditions

Galen Biery Photographs

Klipsun Yearbooks

KVOS Channel 12 Films

Vehicle Research Institute Historical Records

Wallie V. Funk Photographs

Western Front Historical Collection

WWU Centennial Oral History Project Records

Women’s Recreation Association Records

And many more!

We are also continuing to develop new collections

as well as migrating legacy content over to the new

platform.

Earlier this fall, Western’s Multimedia Archives

Based Electronic Library (MABEL) became available

to the university and broader community. This cen-

tral repository allows for online discovery, sharing,

and preservation of Western's digital assets, which

include images, video and sound recordings, and

textual documents. You can check out MABEL now

at the following link: mabel.wwu.edu.

MABEL was developed to provide increased and

improved access to online digital content in support

of communications, research, and teaching & learn-

ing activities. It also supports more effective

“behind the scenes” management of unique materi-

als and valuable digital assets created by or man-

aged by Heritage Resources and other contributing

departments of Western. It is the result of an inten-

sive, multi-year cross-campus university partnership

involving numerous stakeholders, content creators,

archivists, and library professionals.

N e w D i g i t a l C o l l e c t i o n s P l a t f o r m

( M A B E L ) N o w A v a i l a b l e

~ “MABEL” continued on page 4

Screenshot image of MABEL’s landing page showing search

box and options to browse by collection or by format.

P a g e 2 H e r i t a g e H i g h l i g h t s

preted. When we acquire a collection we engage

in an act of shared stewardship and public trust.

Within that context, we recognize that our com-

munity increasingly expects to find these histori-

cal resources online using the best technology

available.

In these pages you will read of a new and excit-

ing access tool, MABEL, that will exponentially

increase public access to a range of digitized

content, including photographs, video, and oral

histories. I am so proud of the Heritage Re-

sources staff who were and continue to be in-

volved in the development of MABEL. In acknowl-

edgement of this work, the interdisciplinary

group that developed the platform recently re-

ceived Western’s prestigious Team Recognition

Award. This award recognizes cooperation and

open communication on a collaborative project

that makes a significant contribution to the Uni-

versity. GO TEAM MABEL! We will be adding new

content regularly, so if you haven’t done so al-

ready, check out MABEL and let us know what

you think. Happy researching.

~ Elizabeth Joffrion

Director of Heritage Resources

As Western’s academic year moves into full

swing, I am reminded of how fortunate I am to

work in a profession dedicated to the documen-

tation of history, the arts, and the natural envi-

ronment. In this work I am supported by a dedi-

cated and passionate staff who provide steward-

ship of the university’s archival, manuscript, and

rare book collections, and work collectively to

preserve and make accessible a range of histori-

cal resources for use by our faculty, students,

and community members. This work happens

across three divisions: the Center for Pacific

Northwest Studies, University Archives, and Spe-

cial Collections. Each unit holds unique materials

that are critical to understanding the history of

our community, region, and world, as well as how

Western became the thriving teaching and learn-

ing institution we know today.

Providing access to these historical and cultural

resources is fundamental to our success. We

believe this work is best accomplished in part-

nership with our patrons and donors, particularly

since the materials in our collections also belong

to the communities that created them, who have

a vested interest in how they are used and inter-

D i r e c t o r ’ s L e t t e r

2 0 2 0 H e r i t a g e R e s o u r c e s

D i s t i n g u i s h e d S p e a k e r H i l l e l S m i t h

Typography" on Tuesday, January 14, 2020 at

4:00pm in the Wilson Reading Room. Through a

multimedia presentation, Smith will cover the four

thousand year development of the Hebrew alpha-

bet from its invention to the present, focusing on

how technology and geography have shaped the

way Jews practice and think about holy texts.

Contact David Schlitt, Judaica Project Archivist, for

more information (David.Schlitt@wwu.edu / (360)

650-3193).

How have changing technologies – from the scroll

to the codex, the invention of paper and the print-

ing press, to the inventions of the modern era –

changed the ways that Judaism is studied and

practiced? What insights can typography offer into

Jewish communal identity and relations? What

have been the roles of nationalism and romanti-

cism, assimilation and cultural exchange, in the

development of Hebrew typography?

Los Angeles-based artist and designer Hillel Smith

will give a talk entitled "A Brief History of Jewish

O u t o f t h e B o x : E n h a n c i n g A c c e s s

T h r o u g h D i g i t a l E x h i b i t s

A selection of primary sources related to the devel-

opment of Bellingham, created in 2003-2004 in

conjunction with the Bellingham Centennial celebra-

tions, is also available online. This carefully selected

assortment of historical photographs, maps, and

documents provides a sense of local and regional

history from over a century ago. The site also pre-

sents suggested lesson plans which educators and

students may use to supplement and enhance their

teaching, learning, and research activities.

Efforts to develop our online exhibits are ongoing.

Western student Annie Avila is currently engaged in

an independent study project that utilizes existing

digitized sources and text from our recent “To the

Mountaintop: a Social History of Mountaineering,”

which explores the complex relationship between

mountaineering and issues of gender, race, and

class. Annie summarizes her time spent on the pro-

ject as follows: "Working with OMEKA to digitize 'To

the Mountaintop' has been such an enlightening

and fulfilling experience. Technology is the future of

history, material culture, and special collections;

being a part of that movement is going to ensure

that history and exhibitions are available for all peo-

ple to learn from. And, the skills I’ve gained will di-

rectly feed into my career goals in which I hope to

work in the museum or special collections environ-

ment."

Heritage Resources’ OMEKA exhibits can be viewed

at the following link: heritageresources.omeka.net/

exhibits.

In addition to making digital content more readily

available online through the MABEL platform, Herit-

age Resources’ staff have also used the OMEKA

platform to offer several online exhibits featuring

curated selections from our collections. These in-

clude, for example, “Through the Lens of Wallie V.

Funk,” an introduction to photographs taken by the

noted and prolific Pacific Northwest journalist. Dur-

ing his career, Funk photographed a diverse and

eclectic range of subjects, including several U.S.

Presidents, the Beatles’ and Rolling Stones’ con-

certs in Seattle, the 1970 Penn Cove whale capture,

community events, and military activities on Whid-

bey Island.

Another online exhibit entitled “Plenty of Things to

Do” explores the work and legacy of award-winning

children’s author and illustrator Doris Burn. A long-

time resident of the San Juan Islands, Doris

(Wernstedt) Burn was a self-taught writer and artist

who sought specifically to engage with the needs,

interests, and creativity of a younger audience. Her

work has proven beloved across generations, includ-

ing the 1965 classic Andrew Henry’s Meadow, as

well as much-loved favorites The Summerfolk and

The Tale of Lazy Lizard Canyon. The exhibit features

Burn’s original manuscripts and artistic works, invit-

ing viewers of all ages to consider and enjoy the

ways in which her creative output continues to con-

nect and inspire as classic children’s book writing

and illustration.

P a g e 3 V o l u m e 7 , I s s u e 2

Photograph of Mick Jagger performing at the Seattle King-

dome in October 1981. Wallie V. Funk photographs, CPNWS.

Photograph of Mount Baker and Roosevelt Glacier, early-

1900s, Henry C. Engberg photographs, CPNWS.

“ M A B E L ” ( ~ c o n t i n u e d f r o m P a g e 1 )

Content in MABEL can be used to support and ena-

ble:

Academic and scholarly research

Primary source instruction

Preservation of digital assets

Marketing & outreach activities

The name MABEL is in part an homage to Mabel

Zoe Wilson, Western's first full-time librarian and the

namesake of the Wilson Library building, which is

still part of Western Libraries’ main complex. Mabel

Zoe Wilson served as librarian from 1902-1945.

Tasked with creating a library from virtually nothing,

she worked for over four decades to grow, catalog,

and organize the collections, initiate services, and

teach students effective library use.

Work to further develop and refine MABEL will con-

tinue as a team of web developers and content ex-

perts make additional improvements. Interested in

providing feedback to help enhance the display and

function of MABEL? Feel free to contact us at

grp.mabel.training@wwu.edu.

URL for more information: mabel.wwu.edu.

Photograph of Mabel Zoe Wilson.

Screenshot from MABEL's landing page that lists “Featured”

and “Recently Added” options.

A c k n o w l e d g e m e n t s

or phone 360-650-3283. Donations can also be

made online or by mail to the Western Foundation,

MS-9034, Western Washington University, 516

High St, Bellingham, WA 98225-9034. Please des-

ignate your contribution to Western Libraries and

identify “Heritage Resources” as the program you

wish to support.

We would like to thank our volunteers and student

employees for all they do in support of Heritage

Resources. We would also like to thank the many

individuals, families, and organizations who have

made generous monetary gifts and contributions of

collection materials. To donate to Heritage Re-

sources, please email Elizabeth.Joffrion@wwu.edu