Preservation of OLLU special collections on the Spanish colonial and Mexican American heritage of San Antonio and Texas

FAIN: PG-271678-20

Our Lady of the Lake University of San Antonio (San Antonio, TX 78207-4689)
Jason Bourgeois (Project Director: January 2020 to June 2022)

A preservation assessment and workshop on best practices for the care and handling of rare books, archival materials, and digitized special collections, as well as the purchase of environmental monitoring equipment and preservation supplies to rehouse materials in three collecting units.  The Center for Mexican American Studies and Research holds 300 linear feet of archival materials, including microfilm documenting the five colonial Spanish missions of San Antonio. In addition, the Sueltenfuss Library has more than 100 rare books on Texas history, as well as rare serials and ephemera.  The University Archives holds 700 linear feet documenting the school’s history since its founding in 1895 by the Sisters of Divine Providence.  The assessment of the storage environment for these materials would provide a road-map for their long-term preservation, thereby ensuring their ongoing research and educational use.

This project will support a preservation assessment of special collections materials on the Spanish colonial and Mexican American heritage and history of San Antonio and surrounding areas throughout the past three centuries. These collections include the Center for Mexican American Studies and Research special collections, the Sueltenfuss Library special collections, and the University Archives. Among the highlights of these collections are the only preservation copies in the U.S. of 18th century archival documents of San Antonio’s Spanish missions, which have been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Our Lady of the Lake University has a global responsibility to protect this cultural heritage by ensuring the preservation, promotion, and use of these collections by the community, faculty, students, and national and international researchers.

Associated Products

Preservation Survey for Our Lady of the Lake University Sueltenfuss Library (Report)
Title: Preservation Survey for Our Lady of the Lake University Sueltenfuss Library
Author: Thomas F. R. Clareson
Abstract: The Cataloging Librarian, Our Lady of the Lake Sueltenfuss Library, invited LYRASIS Consultant Thomas F. R. Clareson to conduct a virtual assessment of the Library’s preservation needs. The Library Director, Cataloging Librarian, and library and archives staff have demonstrated a dedication to the Special Collections and Archives and their preservation, but need to develop further environmental monitoring activities, additional collections care and use policies, and begin considering a new location or facility for the collections as they continue to expand the amount and the use of those collections. This report provides a framework for these efforts. The report contains information and recommendations concerning preservation management and other preservation-related topics based on Clareson’s virtual survey visit on November 17, 2020. The report provides an overview of current conditions and preservation practices in the Special Collections and Archives, and recommendations on future options for preservation management. The special and archival collections of Our Lady of the Lake University are a valuable resource to the University, the State of Texas, and students and scholars across the nation.
Date: 05/25/2021

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