Christmas in the Archives

Stop by the Archives and check out our festive new look!  Swedish Christmas magazines along with a few intriguing Swedish bibles are on display.  

The Christmas lights and decorations will bring holiday cheer to your research, so come in and unwrap new knowledge!

Autumn in the Archives

It's autumn in the archives so drop on in and find something fantastic.

Digital Gustavus

There are many exciting and new digital products being created and offered by the College and Lutheran Church Archives here at Gustavus. For example, you can browse nearly 500 digitized photographs going back to the 1800s, read civil war letters, study World War I propaganda
posters, peruse campus maps from bygone years, listen to oral history interviews, read all issues of the Gustavian Weekly from 1920 through spring 2005, and find your relatives in the 1947-48 alumni directory. In fact, there are so many interesting projects being tackled that you should visit the archives to learn more. If you have extra money, we are always looking for donations because history matters, and there is a cost to preserving our past. We are located in the library, directly above the main entrance. The webpage is here, and you'll need to click the link for digital collections to access the online materials. Have fun browsing! We have a history like no other because it's our history.

Archives Hours

The College and Lutheran Church Archives will be open extended hours this semester. We owe our thanks to Reverend Reuben and Edith M. Ford for an endowment supporting the Lutheran Church Archives. Adrianna Darden, the Archives Specialist, will be working an additional four hours each week.

Hours for Spring Semester 2011
Monday - 8:00-Noon and 1:00-4:30
Tuesday - 8:00-Noon and 1:00-4:30
Wednesday - 8:00-Noon and 1:00-4:30

Please contact Jeff Jenson, College and Lutheran Church Archivist, regarding other days and times. If you've never visited, hurry and join the hundreds of others who used the archives this past year. It's a fantastic experience!

Archives Renovation: A Brave New World

The College and Lutheran Church Archives has been, for the most part, in its current location since the opening of the second Folke Bernadotte Memorial Library in late 1972. During that last thirty-eight years many items have been collected. Thousands of acid-free boxes serve as home to the unique documents, photographs, recordings, and numerous other miscellaneous materials created by and about the college and those who have called Gustavus home.

In an effort to improve the facility and gain additional storage space, Jeff Jenson and Michelle Twait applied for a Minnesota Historical & Cultural Grant made possible by the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund. Their application was successful. By mixing the award with money from the library and an archives endowment, archivally appropriate shelving will be installed. As a result, the entire space was emptied. With the room being bare for the first time in nearly forty years, the space is undergoing a much needed cleaning and painting with the help of physical plant staff.

The archives will remain open during this tumultuous upheaval. This is being done because it is the primary mission of the College and Lutheran Church Archives to make materials "available for use and study." Information access will continue, but minor delays may occur.

To learn more about the College and Lutheran Church Archives please contact Jeff Jenson or visit the website.

Archives Insider

As a new academic year begins, I thought I'd give an update and a bit of inside information.

Regular open hours will be on the following days.
Monday, 8:00-noon and 1:00-4:30
Tuesday, 8:00-noon and 1:00-4:30
Wednesday, 8-noon

Please contact archives staff if you are unable to visit during these hours. We are located directly above the main entrance of Folke Bernadotte Memorial library.

This past academic year was very busy. We helped approximately 280 users. Patrons included students working on classroom assignments, academics conducting professional research, and family history researchers seeking to uncover their roots. To see how students used the archives in Glen Kranking's J-Term "History Bytes" course, please see their course page.

Past and Present Gustavus Buildings - Display

A new addition is being added to the Gustavus campus! Literally! Construction of the "New Academic Building" is underway, and to keep with the theme, the College and Lutheran Church Archives have brought you a new display, "Ch-ch-ch-ch Changes: Buildings at Gustavus." The display chronicles how particular buildings at the college have changed, progressed, and even been demolished over time. Come see what the first gymnasium looked like! Learn what happened to Johnson Hall! This exciting new display was created by library and archives intern Maura Coonan. It is located on the main floor of the library by the reference desk. Come check it out!

To see more images of the the college's past, visit the archives.

Illustrated Biblical Views of the Christmas Story

The Gustavus Adolphus College and Lutheran Church Archives has a new semi-permanent display of bibles located outside of the archives reading room. As a tribute to the Christmas season, a number of illustrated bibles have been opened to display various images associated with Jesus’ birth. Many of these rare and unique bibles are hundreds of years old. Please visit the display and see some beautiful and inspiring images. The presentation was made possible thanks to assistance from the following students, Morgen Hagedorn and Tyna Johnson.

Taking the Mystery out of the Archives

According to some, the College and Lutheran Church archives here at Gustavus are a mystery. It seems people are unaware of the types of materials held in the two different yet related collections.

First, these archives consist of primary source materials created by student organizations, individuals, departments, offices, local churches, and regional church bodies. Most documents, photographs, and recordings held in the archives are found only here and thus have monetary, historical, or sentimental value. The website for the archives gives greater insight and detail into our holdings.

Second, you might be wondering who uses the archives and what types of information are requested. We provide access to materials and help answer questions from students, staff, faculty, alumni, professional researchers, genealogists, and members of the general public. Here are some recent inquiries.
1. When did the first woman graduate from Gustavus?
2. What materials are there documenting the student senate? What is the process to donate additional items?
3. How can I research my local church congregation?
4. Where do I look to learn about the history of Old Main, Rundstrom Hall, the Library, and the Student Union?
5. What World War I posters do you have? A professor is collaborating with local colleagues to develop a teaching plan that helps students learn history by using primary documents.
6. Did members of the anti-war organization the Weathermen ever visit Gustavus?
7. What records exist concerning my relative who was a faculty member at Minnesota College? We hold the records of Minnesota College.

Should you have any additional questions that need answering, please contact the archives.

Christmas and the Holidays at Gustavus

Happy Holidays from the College and Lutheran Church Archives!!

The holiday season is fast approaching. To celebrate, the Archives has put up a new display about past campus events. Come see historic programs and pictures from Christmas in Christ Chapel and the Festival of St. Lucia. The new display, created by archives student worker Birgitta Johnson, is located on the main floor of the Folke Bernadotte Memorial Library, near the reference desk.