Swem Library is fortunate to have a variety of students, alumni, and members of the general public volunteering in Swem on a regular basis, but there are also groups who volunteer in Swem together. On July 16, 2011, Swem Library welcomed its first Staying Connected: Together Serving Others event to the Special Collections Research Center. Organized by Mark ‘75 and Ann ‘75 Woolley, the 18 William & Mary Choir and Chorus alumni and friends came from across Virginia and as far away as Texas to help care for the history of choral music. Participants worked with Swem Library staff to preserve and digitize photos and other material from the tenure of Prof. Carl A. “Pappy” Fehr, which spans the 1940s-1970s. The initiative continued during a second work day on October 8th when alumni and Swem staff were joined by William & Mary students.
After starting the day at the sundial in front of Swem Library and an introduction to the material and work in Special Collections, Swem staff worked with small groups of volunteers to photograph scrapbooks, scan and preserve photographs and other material, and create play lists for concert recordings. The first scrapbook to be made available online was a 1973-1974 Women’s Chorus scrapbook and others have followed with more to come in the future. (Clicking on each photo of a scrapbook page will allow you to enlarge it for more detail.)
While a great deal was accomplished on these first Saturdays, much work remains and Staying Connected volunteers will return for sessions in 2012 to continue digitizing and caring for collection material. For more information on the Staying Connected project, contact Ann Spielman Woolley ’75 at ann.woolley1@verizon.net.
Interested in volunteering in Swem Library? Contact us.