FORT WAYNE, Ind. (ADAMS) – The Allen County Public Library’s (ACPL) Community Album will launch a new archival portal celebrating the work of United Hispanic Americans, Inc. a local organization dedicated to “empowering Hispanic children and adults to excel in the community.” The organization was centered in the Benito Juarez Cultural Center.
ACPL representatives released the following:
The ACPL’s Community Album is as an ongoing archival project of the ACPL’s Special Collections department and seeks to provide open access to local photographs and historic documentation about the Fort Wayne and Allen County community. The Library has hosted the project since 2007.
Rosa Gerra, the retired director and a founding member of United Hispanic Americans, Inc., approached the ACPL with many photos, articles, and other physical documents about the group’s many decades of work in the community.
“Every day in Special Collections we are reminded how critical it is to preserve history, especially local history,” said Director of Special Collections Curt Witcher. “When Rosa approached us, we knew that by digitizing her materials and making them available in the Community Album, we could ensure they would be available more broadly and for generations to come!”
Gerra will be on site at the Library on December 14 to launch the new Community Album portal with a “Digital Ribbon Cutting” ceremony.
The project also ties directly to the Library’s 2024-28 Strategic Plan “Allen County’s Window to Lifelong Learning and Discovery” approved in October. Specifically, it addresses the strategic goals of:
Creating a culture of belonging by developing collections, services, and spaces representing our community and reflecting its diversity in cultures, abilities, and lived experiences.
Celebrating reading and learning through equitable digital and technology access to resources for our community.
For more information about the Community Album or the Library’s Strategic Plan, visit acpl.info.
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