Dear alumni and friends,

We've got news! Thanks to all of you project donors, volumes from 1879-1949 of the Razorback Yearbook are now available online. Feel free to explore, search and enjoy 70 years and 51 volumes of yearbook history, now at your fingertips. 

We appreciate your generosity for this important digitization project, and can't wait to let you know when the next batch is completed. As always, if you have any questions, give us a call, text or an email. 

Happy Holidays!

Rachel

Rachel Krest

Director Development 

Office: 479-575-7092

rachel@uark.edu

We’re excited to report that University Libraries are close to the finish line of digitizing all 120 copies of the Razorback yearbook. Thus far, University Archivist Amy Allen and her team have selected the most pristine copies of our yearbooks to be used, and the majority of the scanning has been accomplished. Libraries leadership from Special Collections and Digital Services are now reviewing the first proof sheets.

The next steps are to create the metadata for each page of each issue of the yearbooks, make any needed touch-ups to the scans, and upload all the pieces to the web pages that will be created for the project. If everything remains on track, the project should be completed by end of summer, and it’s all possible because of all you wonderful donors who’ve supported it! Thank you.

So what’s metadata, you ask? Metadata is the difference between searching for something and finding it. It’s behind-the-scenes data living beneath a web page that makes it possible for you to put your great-grandfather’s name into a search bar and find his photo. Creating metadata is just as important as the scanning process, and it takes precision and mental acumen. In other words—it’s hard work!

To close out this update, we think you’ll be interested to know the Libraries have been actively working to also digitize the Arkansas Traveler student newspaper for the past several months. Thus far, we’ve completed 10,149 scans from 2,130 of the paper’s first issues, covering 1907-1947.

You can help us complete the nearly 25,000 additional scans for the remaining issues of the Traveler by rallying for University of Arkansas Libraries during All in for Arkansas, the U of A’s annual online giving campaign set for April 3 & 4. Simply sign up to be a social media ambassador for University Libraries, spread the word through your personal social media outlets and email, and remember to make your gift during the exciting 1,871 minute campaign!

For more information or to find out ways you can make an even bigger impact for the Traveler digitization project through a challenge or a match gift, feel free to give Rachel Krest, director of development for University Libraries, a call at (479) 575-7092 or email at rachel@uark.edu.

Hurrah! After a flurry of last minute final contributions amid the hullabaloo of Halloween, and a few offline gifts plugged in this morning, it’s great to share that our Looking Back at the Razorback project has hit the $11,000 goal!

This is the power of participation—all of our collective gifts, large and small, came together to make this project happen. So give yourself a pat on the back and maybe do a little happy dance, because YOU are the reason why all 120 Razorback yearbooks will soon be online and accessible 24/7 by anyone, anywhere.

The Digital Services Unit and Special Collections Department within University Libraries are grateful for your participation and can’t wait to get the yearbooks digitized and available online for viewing. Student Media—the student group that produces the yearbooks each year—is overwhelmed by the generosity shown by so many people. Thanks to all the alumni, friends, parents, faculty, staff and students who came together to bring U of A history to life. Stay tuned in the coming months for updates on the digitization process along the way just for donors like you!

The countdown is on! With 10 hours left in our crowdfunding campaign, we’ve unlocked the Germany’s $1,000 challenge gift and reached 85% of the $11,000 goal. We can’t thank you enough for supporting this important project to digitize all 120 Razorback yearbooks. As a special treat, we hope you enjoy these spooktacular yearbook photos of Halloweens past.

Will you please help us finish strong by spreading the word on social media? Simply click the “share” button on the project page or share our Facebook post (@University of Arkansas Libraries). Thanks in advance, and Happy Halloween from the Hill!

Newly added:  contributors to the yearbook digitization project can now honor a yearbook staff member, past or present, with their gift! Go ahead, honor those who worked on the first Cardinal to the latest Razorback, and all of them in between.

And remember, the Jeff and Margo Germany challenge is still in play: when we hit 75% of our goal of $11,000, an additional $1,000 will be unlocked through their generosity! Be sure and continue to encourage others’ participation through social media and emails. With only a few days left in the project, every gift will get us closer to our ultimate goal of digitizing all 120 Razorback yearbooks!   

Jeff ('82 and '85) and Margo (‘84) Germany have issued a challenge gift of $1,000 to digitize the Razorback yearbooks that will be unlocked once we get to 75% of the $11,000 goal (that’s $8,250 for those who may not be mathematicians out there!).

Haven’t made your gift yet? Now’s the time to make your impact on this worthwhile project. Already made a gift? Encourage others to donate and help make U of A history come alive for everyone, 24/7, by sharing the URL: fundrazor.uark.edu/yearbook

We’re only five gifts away from hitting the Saxon Challenge of 40 donors. To celebrate, an additional $500 will be unlocked, bringing the Saxon challenge gift to $1,500. What are you waiting for? Encourage those you know to get out there and give, and help bring more U of A history to life. Remember: a gift of any size will help us unlock this challenge gift!

Special thanks go out to alumni David (’69 & ’73) and Barbara (’70) Saxon for making this possible. 

Thank you to all who have helped the project reach nearly $4,000 with 31 donors. Wow—the vision of providing yearbook access is getting closer each day. 

Alumni like Fran Deane Alexander, BA ’65, are supporting the yearbook digitization project in memory of loved ones: both of her parents were a vital part of the University of Arkansas as students and later as champions of their alma mater. Digitizing the yearbook is especially meaningful to Fran because her father, Ernie Deane, was highly involved in Student Media - before it was called Student Media! He was editor of the Traveler and was involved with creating the yearbooks in the early 1930s. His career in journalism made a powerful impact on our state and campus.   

Who are you honoring through your gift? Your parents or grandparents? Your classmates? A beloved professor? Maybe even your own child who’s on campus today? No matter why, your gift will help bring Razorback history to life and make U of A memories available to everyone, 24/7.   

And remember: when the project hits 40 gifts, the Saxon Challenge will be met and an additional $1,000 will be unlocked to bring us closer to our goal!

David and Barbara Saxon are issuing a challenge to all alumni! Share, like, tweet or email everyone you know to help us get to 40 donors to the project, and they'll unlock $1,000 toward digitizing all 120 yearbooks! Be sure and share this link: fundrazor.uark.edu/yearbook. Remember, a gift of any amount will get us closer to unlocking this challenge gift. Make your impact on history!