The Eli M. Oboler Library Special Collections and Archives Preservation Assessment

FAIN: PG-233652-16

Idaho State University (Pocatello, ID 83201-5377)
Ellen M. Ryan (Project Director: May 2015 to September 2017)

A preservation assessment of the university’s special collections and archives, containing published and unpublished sources focusing on the history and culture of the Intermountain West.  Sources include 2,779 linear feet of manuscript collections, 74,000 photographs, and 2,300 maps and architectural drawings pertaining to the region dating from the 19th century to the present.  These materials document the development of the natural and built environments in Idaho and surrounding states, the history of westward expansion and the Oregon Trail, the experiences of several Native American and immigrant communities, the growth and evolution of railroads and mining companies, and the internment of Japanese Americans and detention of German prisoners of war in Western states during World War II.

The NEH Preservation Assistance Grant will fund a preservation consultant to conduct a general preservation assessment of the Special Collections and Archives housed in the Eli M. Oboler Library at Idaho State University. These collections comprise 2,779 linear feet of unique manuscripts, maps, photographs, and ephemera dating from the mid-19th century to the present that focus on the history of Pocatello, Idaho, the Fort Hall Reservation, and the Intermountain West, plus 3,800 rare books dating from the 16th century to the present. The primary goal of the project is to develop strategies for improving current collections care practices for Special Collections that will form the basis of an action plan and support future access of our collections.