Category Archives: UA History

What the Heck Is a Vertical File?

What the heck is a Vertical File? This is a question I had when I began working in archives. We have three such large archival collections here at Hoole — University of Alabama Pamphlet Files, Alabama Vertical Files, and Rare Vertical Files — and I … Continue reading

Chronicling UA’s First Steps Toward Desegregation

Sixty years ago, the first major step was made toward desegregating the University of Alabama. Autherine Lucy, a black woman from Shiloh, Alabama, was enrolled – and a few days later suspended, eventually expelled, though she had done nothing wrong. … Continue reading

Interview with volunteer Katie Howard, Part I

By: Katie Howard, Director of the Paul R. Jones Gallery and The University Gallery, University of Alabama MLIS student Hi, Katie! Thank you for taking the time to talk to us today. Can you tell us a little about your history at the … Continue reading

The Acquisition History of the papers of Confederate Brigadier General Johnston

By: Amy Chen and Mary Bess Paluzzi Did you read our earlier post on Confederate Brigadier General Johnston’s career? If you haven’t yet, be sure to check it out to learn more about the history this collection represents.  The George … Continue reading

Support Tide For Tusks

By: Amy Chen, CLIR Postdoctoral Fellow The University of Alabama recently created the organization Tide for Tusks to “raise awareness of the threat of extinction for the African Elephant due to ivory poachers.” You can support their campaign by donating, … Continue reading

Halloween updates from Rare Book Cataloging

By: Allyson Holliday, W.S. Hoole Library Complex Copy-Cataloger In the spirit of the season… there’s something for everyone in the Division of Special Collections! Whether it’s skeletons, haints, headless horsemen, witches, or demons, we have your interests covered. For skeletons: … Continue reading

Introducing the blog of Digital Services & The End of the Corolla

By: Amy Chen, CLIR Postdoctoral Fellow The Division of Special Collections and Digital Services work closely together. One of the mandates of Digital Services is to digitize materials from Special Collections to place into the University of Alabama’s online repository, Acumen. While … Continue reading

Interview with Kevin Ray, Archival Technician

By: Kevin Ray, Archival Technician Hello! Thank you for agreeing to talk to us about your role at in the Division of Special Collections. First off, can you tell us a bit about your position? My current title is Archival Technician, … Continue reading

Interview with Tom Land, Institutional Records Analyst

Tom Land, the Institutional Records Analyst in the Division of Special Collections, is retiring at the end of this month after over twenty years of service. This interview is between Amy Chen, the editor of Cool@Hoole, and Tom Land.  First … Continue reading

Remembering Joyce Lamont, Part III

Joyce Haguewood Lamont passed away on February 22, 2014. Widely recognized for her work in historical preservation and her expertise on the history of the American South, Lamont excelled in her ability to promote the profession of librarianship. She became a … Continue reading