Preservation Plan for the Lincoln University Special Collection and Archives

FAIN: PG-52529-15

Lincoln University, Pennsylvania (Lincoln University, PA 19352-9141)
Sophia Sotilleo (Project Director: May 2014 to November 2016)

The purchase of preservation supplies to hold materials from the university’s Rare Books Room, including the historical Langston Hughes Collection; and the purchase of environmental monitors and a light meter to help regulate temperature, humidity, and lighting in the library.  The project would focus on preserving the university’s African American special collections: rare books, periodicals, unclassified government reports, serials, pamphlets, recordings, photographs, and paintings. Highlights include materials on Kwame Nkrumah, a 1939 Lincoln University graduate who was the first president of Ghana, and personal papers of other notable alumni such as Thurgood Marshall and Langston Hughes.  The consultant who provided a recent preservation assessment of the collection would return to conduct a workshop on basic preservation issues for university staff.

The Lincoln University (LU) requests funds to purchase preservation supplies and environmental monitoring equipment to begin the process of preserving and organizing the University’s Special Collections and Archives department. LU’s Special Collections and Archives department holds several significant collections of extreme importance for understanding African American history and culture, as well as the relationship between LU, the nation, and the African continent. Within these collections are numerous rare books, unbound periodicals, video and music recordings, and other items dating back to the mid-nineteenth century. These collections have been used for a wide variety of educational activities and exhibitions. A consultant has conducted a preservation site survey to assess the condition of the building, collection and storage area, and recommended preservation policies and procedures. Our request for funds is based on the consultant’s final report submitted March 2014.