In Memoriam: President Emeritus William B. DeLauder

Delaware State University is grieved to announce the passing of Dr.William B. DeLauder, President Emeritus.  Dr. DeLauder served as the president of Delaware State College, later University, from 1987 until his retirement in 2003.

President DeLauder's tenure was marked by significant growth in every aspect of the campus community. This  included student enrollment, infrastructure, the addition of seven masters degree programs, fundraising, and the development of the Office of Sponsored Programs which set the university on the path towards becoming the research institution that it is today.

At the time of Dr. DeLauder's passing the archives was nearing the completion of the processing of his collection.  It is anticipated that the Office of the President - William B. DeLauder collection will be finalized and made publicly available by the end of the month.  Patrons can expect to find series related to correspondence, subjects, travel, reports and publications, meetings, and grant awards. This post will be updated when the finding aid is published online.

Please see the University's official statement: https://www.desu.edu/news/2019/05/campus-mourns-passing-former-president-william-delauder

**UPDATE: 5/31/2019 The Office of the President - William B. DeLauder collection finding aid has been published to the DSU Archives LibGuide. https://desu.libguides.com/ld.php?content_id=48490111

MayDay! MayDay! Preservation tips for your personal records

Every May 1st the cultural heritage community (libraries, archives, and museums) evaluate their disaster plans and come together to advocate for the continued safety of our communities' valued collections.  MayDay! MayDay! Get it? Librarians have a very punny sense of humor.

In all seriousness, tragedies such as the recent fire at Notre Dame demonstrate that the unthinkable is possible.  I'd wager that the average French citizen in Paris on the morning of April 15, 2019 never dared to imagine that several hours later their nation's priceless artifacts would be threatened or lost. Although we walk through daily life without fear of disaster, threats may loom.  Even if a tragedy never strikes, it's important to be prepared. 

Toward that end, I hope that this MayDay you will take caution for your personal records and treasures. The following are some suggested steps that you can take to safeguard your papers. 

1. If you do nothing else, remove your records from the attic or basement. These are the most hazardous places for paper materials. Records stored here are more likely to be damaged by pests or deteriorate due to significant fluctuations in temperature and humidity. Flooding or leaking roofs are also a factor. 
2. Know where your irreplaceable records are and store them together.  In the event you have to leave your home quickly you will want personal records to be easily accessible and transportable. "Irreplaceable" documents include Passports, Social Security cards, birth certificates, deeds, insurance papers, etc.  This is in contrast to sentimental records which evoke strong emotions and have personal meaning. If you have "go-box" for records, don't weight it down with the sentimental records.
3. Make copies and store them separately of the originals. If you have photographs or records that hold great meaning to you, consider making duplicates.  Don't store the originals and the copies together. Better yet, put geographical distance between them by sharing copies with family members.  This same principle applies to digital records.  Don't entrust all your records to one computer or external storage device.
4. Keep records at least two (2) feet off the floor.  It is advisable to keep records out of flood-prone areas including anything lower that two feet off of a ground-floor. Four feet is better. 
5. Label, label, label. Unfortunately, human memory is also fallible. I have innumerable photographs in the DSU archives that are unidentified and there are few people alive today who can recall the individuals or events depicted.  Although you think you know what's happening in a photograph today, tomorrow might be another story.  Preserve your personal and family history by labeling photographs and home videos. 

Hopefully these are steps that you can take today with little or no expense.  The purpose of MayDay is not to decry lack of funding or inhibitions to disaster preparedness. The purpose is to recognize that we all have steps that we can take to mitigate disaster to our treasures and ourselves. Look around.  What can you do to promote safety?