The State Archives and History Section of the West Virginia Division of Culture and History is expanding its collection of yearbooks from West Virginia colleges and universities, high schools, middle and junior high schools. The section invites individuals and schools with yearbooks to consider donating them to the Archives.
“As the state resource for West Virginia; history, Archives and History gets requests for many different materials,” said Randall Reid-Smith, commissioner of the WV Division of Culture and History. “Increasingly, researchers are interested in looking at yearbooks as they study educational, community and school histories and for genealogical research.”
Presently, Archives and History has more than 3,000 yearbooks from state middle schools, high schools, colleges and universities. They can be reviewed at http:// www.wvculture.org/history/yearbooks.html.
“We are seeing dramatic increases in interest on this site and we expect that will grow in the future,” said State Archivist Joe Geiger. “The State Archives features manuscript collections, photographs, state documents, audiovisual materials, and publications. The yearbooks in our collection receive the same careful preservation and documentation as other publications in the collection.”
Anyone interested in donating yearbooks should contact archivist Debra Basham at 304-558-0230, extension 702, or email her at debra.a.b85ham@wv.gov.
The WV Division of Culture and History, an agency of the WV Department of Education and the Arts, brings together the state’s past, present and future through programs and services in the areas of archives and history, the arts, historic preservation and museums. Its administrative offices are located at the Culture Center in the State Capitol Complex in Charleston, which also houses the state archives and state museum. The Culture Center is West Virginia’s official showcase for the arts. The agency also operates a network of museums and historic sites across the state. For more information about the Division’s programs, visit www. wvculture.org. The Division of Culture and History is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.