Abstract
AbstractThis pilot study presents a collection-centered quantitative analysis of Black history resources available at the Billups-Garth Archive in Columbus, Mississippi. The Archive’s inventory lists for its record series and control files for its manuscript collections were assessed in order to determine the percentage of extant Black history resources in relation to the collection’s total holdings. Relevant collections were then evaluated to determine their mediums, subjects, and provenance. The results showed a dearth of collections related to Black history and indicated that very few were created by the Black community. Results also showed that most relevant resources were made up of textual documents as well as documents relating to everyday life and education. Overall, this study demonstrates how collection analyses may be undertaken to identify collection biases and collection deficiencies, especially deficiencies in representing the histories of marginalized communities.
Highlights
This pilot study presents a collection-centered quantitative analysis of Black history resources available at the Billups-Garth Archive in Columbus, Mississippi
Translated as percentages, Black primary resources make up 8% of processed manuscripts, 9% of unprocessed manuscripts, and 15% of record series
When manuscript collections and record series are considered together, Black primary resources make up only 8% of the repository’s holdings
Summary
This pilot study presents a collection-centered quantitative analysis of Black history resources available at the Billups-Garth Archive in Columbus, Mississippi. In light of these issues, some repositories have made stronger attempts to combat this lack of representation by crafting mission statements and collection policies that reflect this desire One such organization includes the Columbus-Lowndes Public Library’s Billups-Garth Archive (BGA), a local-history. The paper will determine the provenance of each relevant collection and evaluate what percentage of these resources were created by members of the Black community. The overall goal for this project is to help the BGA identify its Black primary resources, and to contribute to scholarship relating to the representation of Black history in archival collections and to encourage other repositories to perform similar analyses. For the purposes of this study, provenance refers to the creator(s) of the materials in any given collection
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