History Harvest collection of digitized images of religious materials

Access and use

Location of collection:
James Madison University
Second Floor Room 203, MSC 1704
Carrier Library
James Madison University
880 Madison Drive
Harrisonburg, VA 22807
Contact for questions and access:
POC: Tiffany Cole
Phone: (540) 568-3444
Phone: (540) 568-3612
Fax: (540) 568-3405
Restrictions:

Collection is open for research. Researchers must register and agree to copyright and privacy laws before using this collection. Please contact research services staff at library-special@jmu.edu before visiting the James Madison University Special Collections Library to use this collection.

Terms of access:

Copyright is retained by the creator(s) and their heirs for materials they have authored or otherwise produced that reside in this collection. Copyright status for other collection materials is unknown. Transmission or reproduction of materials protected by U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.) beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners. Works not in the public domain cannot be commercially exploited without permission of the copyright owners. Responsibility for any use rests exclusively with the user. For more information, contact the Special Collections Library Reference Desk (library-special@jmu.edu).

Preferred citation:

[identification of item], History Harvest collection of digitized images of religious materials, 1880-2012, SC 0208, Special Collections, Carrier Library, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA.

Summary

Extent:
5.8 Gigabytes
Creator:
Witmer, Andrew (Andrew Daryl) (1976-)
Abstract:
Collection consists of digitized images of religious artifacts and printed materials lent for scanning by members of the local community during a spring 2012 "History Harvest" led by JMU history professor Dr. Andrew Witmer and the students of "Introduction to Religious History."
Language:
English , German .
Preferred citation:

[identification of item], History Harvest collection of digitized images of religious materials, 1880-2012, SC 0208, Special Collections, Carrier Library, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA.

Background

Scope and content:

Under the direction of Dr. Andrew Witmer, students in the spring 2012 course, Introduction to U.S. Religious History, in partnership with Special Collections, worked to compile a digital collection of local religious artifacts. The class hosted a "History Harvest" in which local community members brought in items of religious significance to be digitized.

Digital images in this collection were created by students who digitized materials during the April 14, 2012 History Harvest event, or digitization took place throughout 2012 for the items that were loaned to Special Collections after the History Harvest for scanning. Content in the collection includes digital images of a variety of religous artifacts, including historic pamphlets and photographs from various churches in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia.

Donors were interviewed on site by students for background information about their items, which is reflected in the item descriptions in the collection inventory.

Biographical / historical:

Digital images within this collection were produced as part of a 2012 "History Harvest" event. Students within the spring 2012 course, "Introduction to U.S. Religious History," taught by history professor, Dr. Andrew Witmer, planned and conducted a "History Harvest" as part of their course requirements. The purpose of the event was to gather and digitize items of religious significance from across the Shenandoah Valley. Community members were invited to East Campus Library (now Rose Library) from 10am to 2pm on Saturday, April 14, 2012 to share their items. The following excerpt from Dr. Witmer's syllabus describes the event: "Within the new field of digital history, historians have pioneered an innovative approach to collecting and studying the past. This class will adapt a model recently developed at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and work with JMU Special Collections to organize and host our own History Harvest. This event invites community members to share their records related to the religious history of Virginia and the Shenandoah Valley for digital preservation and study by our class and future scholars. In regular consultation with the professor and Special Collections Librarian, students will use their skills and creativity to plan the History Harvest."

Arrangement:

Collection is arranged into the following seven series according to History Harvest participant donor name and the subject of each donor's material contribution:

  1. William Ney - Beth El Congregation
  2. Martha Dofflemyer - Elkton Presbyterian Church
  3. Kenneth J. Weaver - Virginia Mennonites
  4. Jane Desper - White Hill Church of the Brethren
  5. Esther Yoder Stenson - Amish Church
  6. James Good – Mennonites
  7. Harold E. Huber
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard