New Digital Collection Celebrates History of Campus Buildings

Special Collections, University of Arkansas Libraries

The University of Arkansas's first library, housed in Old Main, circa 1928.

The Libraries Special Collections Division and Digital Services Department have teamed up to create the digital collection Campus Life and the Life of the Campus: 150 Years on 'The Hill' in celebration of the U of A's sesquicentennial. The collection contains 114 digitized objects documenting the transformation of the U of A's buildings and spaces over the last 150 years. 

"Thinking in terms of place and the built environment is always my first instinct," said Catherine Wallack, architectural records archivist. "The sesquicentennial seemed like the perfect opportunity to explore both the history of the campus as a place and its impact on students' experiences, and vice versa, throughout the university's history. The Libraries have acquired and digitized some remarkable architectural drawings in the last several years. This project provided an ideal platform to showcase the best of them in a meaningful context. Special Collections has such a wealth of diverse materials that we were able to put together to look at the university's history from a different perspective."

Libraries personnel on the project team for this collection include Martha A. Anderson, Lori Birrell, Rachel Herbaugh, Deborah E. Kulczak, Wallack and Alyssa Willis.

Images were digitized and processed by Digital Services personnel, including Neva Bartelt, Samuel Collins, Dexter Fairweather, Ross Kerr, Zachary King, Wendy McLean, Cassidy McManus, Laura Montgomery, Shelby Osbourn, Christina Rhoades, Dharma Shepard, Fred Shumbusho and Kennedy Simes.

"Campus Life and the Life of the Campus: 150 Years on 'The Hill' is one of the best resources to introduce new faculty and students to the University of Arkansas campus," said Anderson, head of the Libraries Digital Services Department. "Campus history and life are depicted through a meticulous selection of portraits, aerial pictures, blueprints and more. Of personal interest to me were seeing classic cars within the 'Parking Circle' depiction along with several photos of Senior Walk. I am a proud alumna and honored to be part of this digital project."