We recently processed the Alumni Files, a large series in the Columbia School of Library Service records. Alumni here means former students who enrolled in a degree program (BS, MS, PhD), whether or not they completed their program, from 1926 to 1992. These files have often been requested by researchers so we are delighted to […]
Show Me Your Cards: Communicating In The Days Of Yore
Before texts, tweets, and swipes, there were calling cards, cartes de visite, and dance cards—the original social media of centuries past. Often dismissed as trivial, these small pieces of ephemera tell a big story: how we connected, flirted, and formed relationships before the digital age. Though fleeting in nature, they offer lasting insight into the […]
Meet Flora Harpham
In researching Columbia’s history in our archives, one meets a number of interesting characters whose stories are often underrepresented in our sources. Florence Ellen Harpham is an excellent example. She has the distinction of being the first woman to receive a Trustee appointment as an Officer of Instruction, or simply, the first woman faculty member […]
An A-to-Z of Oral History at Columbia: 5000 pages with Richard D. Heffner
An A-to-Z of Oral History at Columbia is a monthly posting featuring the people, events, and organizations in the Oral History Archive at Columbia’s collections, as well as behind-the-scenes info about oral history methodology. Title: Oral history interview with Richard D. Heffner, 1997 and Oral history interview with Richard D. Heffner, 2011 Interview […]
DO BETTER: A Call to Re-Imagine Oral History
How can we truly listen? How can we ensure the stories we capture are both authentic and accessible? These are the questions driving the Oral History Archives at Columbia’s latest display, DO BETTER: Reflexively + Critically Encountering Oral History Methods. Join us as we embark on a journey through the evolution of oral history, challenging […]