Dear Friends and Good People -
For those who may not have heard, last Friday was a sad day for Civil Rights History as fire destroyed a building at Highlander Center in New Market, Tennessee, burning “decades of archives.”
“While physically unhurt, we are saddened about the loss of our main office. The fire destroyed decades of historic documents, speeches, artifacts and memorabilia from movements of all kinds, including the Civil Rights Movement,” Highlander's co-executive directors Ash-Lee Woodard and Rev. Allyn Maxfield-Steele said in a statement <https://www.facebook.com/highlandercenter/photos/pcb.2393340514031711/2393332847365811/>.
The building, one of 10 on the center's 200-acre campus in Jefferson County, held offices for Highlander's executive leadership and program staff. The other nine buildings were not damaged.
“It was a building that held decades of archives ... files, irreplaceable items,” said Chelsea Fuller, a communications strategist working on behalf of the Highlander Center.
Founded in 1932 as the Highlander Folk School in Monteagle, Tennessee, the historic center is renowned for its social justice and leadership education.
https://www.knoxnews.com/story/news/local/2019/03/29/historic-highlander-center-destroyed-fire-new-market-tennessee/3310356002/ <https://www.knoxnews.com/story/news/local/2019/03/29/historic-highlander-center-destroyed-fire-new-market-tennessee/3310356002/>
This tragedy is a cautionary tale for libraries and archives housing historical community materials. Does your facility have a disaster preparedness plan with an active program of copying and storing historical documents?
Library Friends can play a supportive role in helping protect the community’s history.
Best wishes - Don
- - -
Donald B. Reynolds, Jr.
P.O. Box 278
Talbott, Tennessee 37877
865.475.2030
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2014-17, 2018-19 President, Friends of Tennessee Libraries (FOTL)
Web Site <http://www.friendstnlibraries.org/> Facebook Page <https://www.facebook.com/pages/Friends-of-Tennessee-Libraries/78895803726?fref=ts> Friends Ethical Statement <http://www.friendstnlibraries.org/wp-content/uploads/FOTL-Ethical-Dozen-for-Friends-of-the-Library-18Sept2015.pdf> Parent Tips for Reading Aloud <http://www.friendstnlibraries.org/wp-content/uploads/Parent-Tips-for-Reading-Aloud-Sept-2014-Imagination-Week-Handout-REV-FINAL1.pdf> Tool Kit for Building Friends Group <http://www.friendstnlibraries.org/wp-content/uploads/Final-Sept2015FOTL-TOOL-KIT-for-Building-a-Library-Friends-Group-REV-Sept2015.pdf>
Former Chair, Tennessee Library Association Trustees/Friends Section
Retired Director, Nolichucky Regional Library, Tennessee
Founding Director/Former President, Association for Rural and Small Libraries
Rural & Small Library Directors’ Tool Kit <http://rurallibrarydirectors.pbworks.com/>
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