The Father of the Glaciers, 1902, C. L. Andrews, from University of Oregon’s C. L. Andrews photographs, 1880s-1948 collection

Happy Holidays! This is our final post for 2024, and it’s been a great year all around.

We’ve had visits from nearly 11,600 visitors since the beginning of the year from all corners of the globe! While the vast majority came from the US, Germany, China, Lithuania, Canada and India rounded out the top 6 countries. We added 24 new collections to MWDL from four members and updated numerous others. In August, we met at University of Utah to hear updates, reconnect with one another, and network with new participants.

Read on to learn what else we’ve been up to recently and what’s coming up soon!

Collections

November brought MWDL five new collections from University of Utah, J. Willard Marriott Library.

Topolski’s Chronicle was a bimonthly publication of broadsheets created by renowned Polish-British artist Feliks Topolski from 1953 to 1982. Printed on large sheets, the Chronicle featured Topolski’s distinctive reportage illustrations alongside text covering a wide range of topics, including world politics, the civil rights movement, and popular culture. This unique publication is now considered a valuable historical record, offering artistic interpretations of key events and figures of the mid-20th century.

The Jean M. Westwood Papers contain much that is applicable to national, Utah, and Arizona politics, as well as the women’s movement. Included are correspondence, speeches and articles, and a variety of documents resulting from Westwood’s affiliation with various political and civic organizations, as well as her leadership in the Democratic party at both the state (Utah and Arizona) and national levels.

The Beverly Jane Porter Papers consist primarily of correspondence from Porter living in South Africa to family in the United States. Most of the letters are addressed to Porter’s parents. The earliest letters are from New York in 1936. From 1939 through 1955, she writes from Northern Rhodesia now Zambia; Durban, South Africa; and Johannesburg, South Africa. In these lengthy letters, Porter provides family updates regarding their health and studies, social life, and also her husband’s work as a metallurgist recovering uranium. The correspondence also includes letters, telegrams, postcards, and photostatic copies via Airgraph.

KUTV EXTRA was a news magazine type show that aired from 1977 to 1984 and had unique and diverse segments. These include critical exposés, short subject documentaries, experimental video, and in-depth interviews with local oddballs, Utah politicians, and national personalities.

Finally, the Alberta Henry papers (1946-2005) consist of files maintained by Henry which detail her work as President of the Salt Lake City branch of the NAACP and as a minority consultant for the Salt Lake County School District. Included in the records are Utah Black History calendars, the Contemporary Blacks in Utah Resource Book, records of various community organizations of which Henry was a member, as well as the records of the Rainbow Honor Society, a multicultural student organization which she founded.

DPLA News

DPLA’s Network Council held its final 2024 meeting on December 5. While a formal announcement is still forthcoming, DPLA staff shared that Free Library of Philadelphia was selected as the new host for DPLA’s cultural heritage aggregation work! Conversations with funders are still ongoing and DPLA anticipates a more complete announcement of this exciting work in Spring 2025.

Current DPLA staff will remain onboard through 2025 and normal operations are expected to continue through the transition. Temple University (host of PA Digital, Pennsylvania’s statewide DPLA hub) seem positioned to offer technical guidance through the process.

Upcoming Events

Right after the holiday, DPLA will hold a 2025 kickoff meeting. This January 9, 2025 meeting is open to all and we encourage you to attend if you have time and interest. Please register to get the Zoom details from DPLA.

Then on Wednesday, January 29, MWDL will hold its 2025 virtual Member Meeting! This is an opportunity to get together, catch up with our network, and hear what’s going on with fellow institutions. Please visit the event page and register if you plan to attend.