Community Webs partner collections

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Digitization of this material will produce a deeper understanding of how systems of power and legal structures can regulate or even erase minority community histories, especially in regards to housing and economic opportunities. For example, the Athens City Engineer Records from Athens-Clarke County Library, the African American Housing and History collection from Evanston History Center, and the San Francisco Redevelopment Agency Records from San Francisco Public Library show the impact of urban redevelopment on Black and minority neighborhoods. The Municipal Records and agency scrapbooks from Jersey City Free Public Library show the ways that politics and economic changes impacted immigrant and minority communities.

Ashley Shull, Collections Coordinator, Athens-Clarke County Library shares what this project means to the community:

“The opportunity to be involved in a project proposal like this with the Internet Archive and our other library partners is invaluable to our community. The increased access to our Athens City Engineer phone number database collection will provide, not only local citizens, but academic researchers from around the world as well as current Athens-Clarke County Government officials insight into the past planning activities of our community. This is especially important as our local government embarks on a new Comprehensive Community Plan.”

John Beekman, Chief Librarian, Jersey City Free Public Library, also emphasized the impact of access to important city records:

“The Jersey City Free Public Library is honored to work with esteemed libraries from across the country on this innovative project spearheaded by the Internet Archive’s Community Webs program.