Last week, we had an Archives Deep Dive GBM, where we printed old copies of The Stute from important times in history. This included coverage of the opening of many of the dorm halls, the first woman admitted to Stevens, and both World Wars. With this GBM, I found it important to consider why it’s important to preserve archives, what we can learn from looking at old newspapers, and how digitization and online access have changed the way we interact with and use these resources.
Why is it important to preserve archives?
Archives play a critical role in preserving our collective memory and culture. Without archives, we would have no way of knowing what happened in the past, how people lived, and what they thought about the events of their time. More specifically, The Stute archives provide valuable insights into the school’s evolution and help maintain institutional memory. It’s a resource for current and future members of the Stevens community to learn about the school’s history and ensure that this important information is not lost over time.
What can we learn from looking at old newspapers?
Old newspapers provide a snapshot of life at a particular week in time and reflect the attitudes of the people who lived then. We can use these archives to learn about significant events, social trends, and cultural shifts. It’s especially interesting to look back at these historical events from a student perspective. For example, during World War I, people were enlisting to fight, but during World War II, they were encouraged to stay in school. Additionally, when looking at the coverage of the opening of the dorm halls in The Stute, we can see how the student body and administration viewed this development and what impact it had on campus life at the time.
How have digitization and online access to old newspaper archives changed the way we interact with and use these resources?
Digitization and online access have revolutionized the way we interact with and use historical archives. With digital archives, we can access information without having to physically visit the library and we can do things like host archives deep dive GBMs. The oldest copy of The Stute is from 1904 and digitization has made it easier to preserve and share fragile and rare materials like this. By digitizing our old newspapers a wider audience is able to access and engage with these resources.
It’s also worth noting that looking back at old newspapers can reveal some uncomfortable truths about our past. For example, the issue from 1971 that covered the first woman admitted to Stevens had a lot of ads for birth control, condoms, and abortion, significantly more than any issue prior. Additionally, The Stute extensively covered the beginning of the Iraq war in 2003, but their approach was lacking in sensitivity as they included graphic images of victims of the war. Preserving newspaper archives like these is crucial as they serve as a historical record of events and attitudes of the time from a student perspective, particularly when it comes to sensitive topics. While coverage of some topics may have lacked sensitivity in the past, I think it can serve as a reminder that progress is not always linear. By acknowledging the mistakes of the past, we can learn from them and continue to move forward to improve our understanding and treatment of sensitive issues.
As we move forward, it’s essential to ensure that we continue to preserve our archives and make them accessible to everyone. At The Stute, we are actively looking to appoint someone as our archives liaison to work on digitizing our archives and maintaining communication with the Stevens Samuel C. Williams Library.
