FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 28, 2014
For More Information:
Glenville State College
Public Relations Department
(304) 462-4115
GLENVILLE, WV - Thanks in part to a West Virginia Humanities Council grant, staffers in the Glenville State College Archives have been working to digitize several old 8- and 16-mm films.
Work on the project of converting the films mostly progressed over the summer with workers continuing to add to the varied collection. The materials have included footage from Glenville State College football games from the 1960s through 1980s, mid-century homecoming parades, pre-WV State Folk Festival Gilmer County music festivals, documentaries regarding local culture, and more.
Many of the 16-mm reels already in the Archives' holdings were collected by former GSC First Ladies Irene Powell and Sandy Freeman. GSC Library Associate and Archivist Jason Gum stated that the majority of the collection features past football games and were actually discovered recently. "These more recent reels were found in the back of a storage trailer that was being torn down for construction of the Waco Center. [GSC's Athletic Director] Janet Bailey is always mindful when she sees such things and called me to look the materials over. These were probably going to end up in a dumpster, but we've now been able to add them to our collection while also making them widely accessible," said Gum.
Gum explains that on average there is anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour of labor dedicated to each film. So far nearly 200 reels of film have been converted – with nearly as many hours devoted to the project.
Several of the newly digital files have been uploaded to the GSC website and are viewable via YouTube. To see the films, click here.
According to Gum, the Glenville State College Archives, which is housed in the Robert F. Kidd Library, is always looking for additional historical audio/visual materials that relate to the institution.
For more information about this project, other items in GSC's Archives, or to learn more about having relevant items archived, contact Gum at Jason.Gum@glenville.edu or (304) 462-6163.
