Funding the Archive Endowment
After the success of the Textbook Affordability and the Belonging endowments, The Friends of the Courtright Memorial Library have chosen the Otterbein University Archive as the next focus of their fundraising.
The Archive is home to all of the historical documents, photographs, recordings, and artifacts that tell the history of this school, from its founding in 1847 to the present day. The Archive was opened in 1954, and since then has grown to hold approximately 2,000 linear feet of materials, including over 5,000 catalogued items. Since 2008 it has been located in the lower level of the Courtright Memorial Library, but since 2015 it has been running out of space to house all of these treasures.
When a Preservation Survey was made of the Archives in 2018 was recommended that compact shelving, a new HVAC system and a fire suppression system be installed in the main stacks area of the Archive to properly accommodate the current holdings, allow for continued growth of the collection, and to provide a safe and stable environment for the preservation of these historical treasures.
Between October 2023 and September 2024, Archivist Stephen D. Grinch led a National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) grant-funded project to plan for the purchase and installation of these systems. The total cost for this project is estimated to be just shy of $1,000,000. Thanks to the Office of Sponsored Grants and Programs, the Archive has just applied for a $350,000 implementation grant from the NEH. In addition, the library has committed approximately $70,000 from one of its endowments to go towards this work. Further, Tim Priest, Director of Otterbein’s Facility Services, is searching for ways to bring down the cost of the project by repurposing unused equipment already owned by the University to help bring down the cost of the project.
Over the years the Friends of the Courtright Memorial Library has been incredibly generous to the University Archive, funding temporary staff and purchasing a new digital camera in 2017. After reviewing the plans for the Archive, the board unanimously voted to turn their fundraising efforts towards the support of this endeavor. Stay tuned for more updates as this project moves forward!