MACOMB, Illinois. The Western Illinois University library’s aim is centered on education, and students are actively contributing to the preservation of history so that future generations can learn about it.
The University Archives and Special Collections of the library are maintained by a number of diligent students. Graduate student of history Abby Troxell-Skaggs emphasized the unique work being done in this area.
Troxell-Skaggs stated in a press release that the library’s special collections are among the few sections that focus on regional collections as well as works by professors and students, which draws a lot of visitors.
In-depth documentation of WIU and local history is maintained by the University Archives and Special Collections department. University history, faculty and student organizations, publications, student newspapers, yearbooks, master’s theses, photos, and memorabilia are the main topics of the archives. West-central Illinois’s natural, cultural, and economic heritage is the subject of special collections.
Kessiena Erebi and Ifunanya Osondu, two Nigerian students, decided to attend WIU and have settled into the Archives and Special Collections division.
Erebi, a graduate student studying public health, chose WIU partly because her mother, Ofigo Emuoboh nee Esiso, graduated from the university. Erebi wanted to experience the friendly and inviting atmosphere for herself after hearing tales about it.
According to Erebi, my mother would frequently talk about her time in the US, specifically in Macomb, and the amazing people she met and the experiences she created. When it came time for me to continue my education, I chose to come to the one location my mother had talked about and still talks about with such affection because of how much the joy of her recollections of WIU and its community connected with me.
One of her best memories from her time at WIU, according to Erebi, will always be discovering her mother’s yearbook while conducting research. Erebi stated that she intends to pursue more study in the field of public health. She claimed that WIU’s faculty and environment have fostered critical thinking and given her more chances than she could have ever dreamed.
Senior nursing student Osondu also emphasized the practical skills that WIU is teaching, and she intends to carry out more research once she receives her degree.
According to Osondu, programs that offer hands-on training and small class sizes that foster relationships between teachers and students particularly caught my attention. The diverse campus community also made me feel at home right away.
The State of Illinois developed the Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) System, a program housed under the Archives and Special Collections department, to manage local government archival data. These are regional depositories that are archived at one of the regional institutions and contain records of long-term value. IRAD interns Jodi Clayton and Troxell-Skaggs are both graduate students.
According to Troxell-Skaggs, the public can access these legal documents through the library and IRAD interns. Requests for these materials have been made both domestically and internationally. People have visited the library for our IRAD/Special Collections from Maryland, Canada, and even France. I, along with every other intern at IRAD, have the honor of working with the IRAD collection on a daily basis, which is an incredible piece of history. Every day, we gain new knowledge.
The fact that Clayton’s home in Warsaw was less than an hour away from WIU was a major factor in her decision. She claimed she stayed at WIU because of the smaller campus and fewer class sizes.
Learning about the resources available to students and the community, as well as how to access, maintain, and curate them, has been an incredible experience, according to Clayton. Because everyone has been so nice, I also value the folks I’ve been able to work with.
Every student gave credit to William Cook, their supervisor and a library specialist, for assisting them in navigating the collections. Cook stated that he hopes to guarantee that these data will remain in existence for a very long time and that the work they are doing is significant.
One of the best things about working at WIU and the Illinois State Archives, Cook said, is that many of my students over the years have been first-generation students. I know this because I was a first-generation student myself. Regardless of their majors, our students are always thrilled to witness authentic papers that date back more than 200 years. Their meticulous and diligent work for us is an expression of their excitement!
Visit wiu.edu/libraries/archives/ to find out more about the WIU Archives and Special Collections department.
