Nancy Toombs is the interim manager of the Austin History Center, a 14-person, $1.2 million division of the Austin Public Library, with responsibility for personnel, planning, and fiscal aspects. Toombs represents the Austin History Center before library, city, and community groups. She writes, speaks and consults about Austin history, managing local history collections, and preservation of historical materials.
april 2021
Programming & Outreach
Latinx Community Archivist Marina Islas and Asian Pacific American Community Archivist Ayshea Khan spoke to a graduate level class at NC Central University on March 8th.
Curator Molly Hults and Audiovisual Archivist Afsheen Nomai gave a presentation, on March 22nd, to a UT History class on researching the history of their oral history interviewees.
Ayshea Khan was a speaker at Community Check-In and Vigil for the Lives Lost in Georgia virtual event, hosted by Asian Family Support Services of Austin and AARC
African American Community Archivist kYmberly Keeton participated in a panel in the Garza Independence High School African American Celebration on March 24th.
Ayshea Khan served as a discussion facilitator at ConversAsian: An Asian American Town Hall, hosted by UT-Austin on March 25th.
Reference Archivist Jennifer Hecker was interviewed by CBS Austin regarding the Austin History Center’s Covid-19 Files.
Collections
645 files and 322 original files were uploaded into Preservica, the AHC's digital online portal.
Reference
The AHC’s expanded reference and e-document delivery service received 201 requests this month, delivering 3,583 scanned items to researchers. While research topics vary, some of our efforts can have a profound personal affect, as evidenced by this example of feedback that the staff received:
“I really appreciate your prompt reply and help. You have confirmed, once again, my high regard for librarians!”
This month, writings, clippings, administrative records, and subject files documenting local poet, environmentalist, publisher, and lawyer Robin Cravey were donated to AHC, as well as administrative records, audiovisual materials, and photographs documenting the A.I.S.D. Visiting Teachers Program from 1931 to 2010.