JC: Do you plan to digitize any of these materials in the future?
SS: Yeah, we have a strong mandate internally and with support of the library administration to really put things on the web. We have the finding aid project, as I mentioned to you earlier. It’s really not an accident that we have the finding aid project before any of the digital imaging has, because you need to have the description of the materials up before you get the content up on the web. And so our rationale is that if you get the finding aids up and searchable, that’s the first step that people will be able to do remotely before they come on site.
Also, you know the rationale behind that is you can only digitize so much, you’ll never do more than a small percentage of what you have, its just too labor intensive and costly. While we can get all of our finding aids online, we have to be selective with digitizing our materials. Our focus is going to be materials that are unique to the U of A collections that aren’t available elsewhere. In fact our first item is going to be the Kino diary, which is a big item. After that we have the Clum Papers and the Oury Family, which was a big Tucson family in the 19th century. We’re looking at selectively scanning and publishing primarily manuscript materials and potentially photographs.
In a general sense the web really is a revolutionary step in the world of archivists. We really recognize the internet as a powerful tool to improve access to collections in terms of finding aids and the collections themselves.
JC: Well, I want to thank you Mr. Sutton for taking the time to discuss your collections here at the University of Arizona Library.
SS: You’re welcome. We like to educate the public about Special Collections. Even though we are a public institution, anyone is welcome to visit Special Collections and view the materials.
1. Bancroft, Hubert Howe, 1832-1918. History of Arizona and New Mexico, 1530-1888.
San Francisco: The History Company. 1889.
Although the time frame is limited to 1889, this book is considered a comprehensive, classic work on Arizona’s history.
2. Lummis, Charles Fletcher. Mesa, Cañon And Pueblo; Our Wonderland Of The Southwest, Its Marvels Of Nature, Its Pageant Of The Earth Building, Its Strange Peoples, Its Centuried Romance. New York, and London: The Century Co. [c1925].
Lummis was a noted east coast eccentric who had a fascination for Arizona. His books promoted Arizona to the tourist and the railroad industry.
