Wartburg Archives Digitization Fair: Home

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

What is the purpose of this event? The archives is always working to grow the collection to more comprehensively document the history of Wartburg College and its community. We cannot accomplish this goal without the materials held in the private collections of alumni, families, faculty, and others. By digitizing your material, we aim to assist you in preserving your memories of Wartburg as you help us fulfill our mission to “preserve and make available materials that document the development, operation, people, activities, and history of Wartburg College.”

What materials are you looking for? We are looking for anything that will help tell the Wartburg story. At this time, we are particularly interested in: 

• Photographs
• Audio and video recordings of campus events, athletic games, etc.
• Records of student organizations (newsletters, meeting minutes, marketing materials, etc.)
• Student publications
• Personal papers of significant individuals with a Wartburg connection (diaries, letters, manuscripts, family papers in any format – including electronic)
  • For example, we hold extensive material about alumna Kathryn Koob, including correspondence, writings, recordings of speeches and interviews, and photographs; See https://knightguides.wartburg.edu/collegearchives/speccoll/koob for more information.
• Memorabilia, such as T-shirts, uniforms, buttons, etc., as long as they are in good condition

We would especially like to gather materials from alumni who attended Wartburg in the last 10 to 15 years to help us fill in gaps in the collection!

Is there anything you do not need? We have full runs of The Fortress yearbook, Wartburg Magazine, and The Trumpet. Most of these have been digitized and are available online through our webpage’s Digital Collection Features: https://www.wartburg.edu/archives/

What formats can you digitize on demand? We have equipment to digitize photographs and paper (up to 11" x 17"), VHS/S-VHS, Betacam, and U-matic video. We can also copy already digital items from CD/DVD, flash drive, or via online transfer. 

What if you cannot digitize something on demand? Please contact Kay Grigsby at kay.grigsby@wartburg.edu to make a plan for such materials. We will discuss how your materials will be kept safe and a timeline and method for returning them to you following digitization.

Do I have to donate my original items to the archives? No. We will digitize your materials either way, but we ask that you donate a digital copy to us if you choose not to donate your originals.

What if I can’t make it back for Homecoming, can I still participate? How can I get my materials to you? Absolutely! The archives is always accepting materials for donation. You can ship or deliver any items to the attention of Amy Moorman, archivist at Vogel Library, 100 Wartburg Blvd., Waverly, Iowa, 50677. If you aren’t sure whether your materials fit with what we are looking for, please contact Amy to discuss it further!

How will these materials be used? Your materials are an integral component in preserving the history of Wartburg College. Materials in our collections are available for use by researchers, the public, or Wartburg offices in a variety of ways. They may be used to document Wartburg College history, create materials or displays for events like Homecoming or reunions, or as data in research about broader historical trends.

Will my name be linked to any donated material? Materials donated become part of the larger archives collection without public mention of the donor, except under special circumstances.

Should I make a list of what material I have? We appreciate any information you can provide with your donation, including what the materials are, who created them/owned them, identification of people or places in photographs, etc. This is all valuable information!

Should I weed items or reorganize them before donating/bringing them to be digitized? The original order of archival materials provides key contextual information and research value – especially in the case of personal papers. We would prefer that you do not "organize" any of your records without consulting first with a trained archivist or records manager.

If you have additional questions, please contact Kay Grigsby, Grant Price Endowed Archivist: kay.grigsby@wartburg.edu