Broward County Historical Archives Preservation Project
FAIN: PG-263562-19
Broward Public Library Foundation (Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33301-1830)
Erin Purdy (Project Director: May 2018 to June 2021)
A preservation assessment for a collection of
approximately 1,400 linear feet of manuscripts, maps, photographs,
archaeological and museum objects, audiovisual materials, and microfilm reels documenting
the history and culture of Broward County, Florida. The collection includes papers of notable
area residents; materials from early residents dubbed “Broward County Pioneers”;
organizational records such as the Florida East Coast Railway’s employee
records (1918-50); photographs dating back to the 1880s; maps ranging from 16th-
century sailing charts to modern development plats; an oral history project
related to race and place in South Florida; and a Broward County “hanging chad”
voting booth and ballot from the 2000 presidential election. The project would also support a day-long
disaster preparedness and response workshop open to South Florida cultural
heritage organizations.
The Broward County Historical Archives’ collections range from prehistoric artifacts to present-day audiovisual recordings, and is the county’s official repository for historical government records and archaeological materials. The collections in the Historical Archives document the history and culture of Broward County and its diverse communities and are used by a wide range of library customers. This project will fund a preservation assessment by a professional consultant that will increase Broward County Library’s ability to preserve the collections in the current, far-from-ideal conditions. Although outside the scope of this project, the assessment will also inform upcoming renovation projects in Main Library. Broward County Library will also host a disaster preparedness and response workshop that will be attended by library special collections staff and be provided for free to staff of local historical organizations that collect and preserve heritage materials.