If you have ever made a trip down to The Cavalier Daily’s home in the basement of Newcomb Hall, you know that our office houses a collection of archives dating back to the 19th century. Leafing through hundreds of pages filled with old photographs, advertisements and coverage is one of my favorite pastimes.
We receive dozens of requests every semester from members of the media, students, former staffers, professors and community members who are curious about viewing these bound volumes and want to access them physically or digitally. And — thanks to a generous donation — the process of digitizing and contextualizing our archives has finally begun.
We are so excited to be working with U.Va. Library on this project, but we also know there are many of you who would like access to our archives sooner. And that is why I am writing today to announce that The Cavalier Daily has hired an archivist — rising second-year College student Grace Franklin.
In this role, Grace serves as project lead for our archive digitization project, but she will also remain a point of contact for staffers and the community, should you wish to visit our archives or have any questions. Finally, Grace will also produce a series of public-facing reports detailing the paper’s coverage of significant moments and stories in the University’s history. You’ll see the first of these in just a few weeks.
I have to take a moment to encourage my fellow students in particular to take advantage of our archives as a resource. Our coverage can be a tool for you — use our old stories in your class projects and learn more about the history of the organizations that are such a huge part of your lives on Grounds. Let me know how we can make this more accessible and more useful for you.
Moving forward, all requests to view bound copies of The Cavalier Daily’s archives can be directed to archivist@cavalierdaily.com. If you are not in the Charlottesville area, please note that a search rate applies.
Independent student journalism is impossible without your support — if you’ve made it to the end of this letter, I hope you consider making a tax-deductible donation to aid us in this digitization project and our ongoing effort to provide the community with new, relevant and insightful information. You can keep up with our coverage by subscribing to our newsletters and following us on social media.
As always, I can be reached at editor@cavalierdaily.com with any questions or concerns.
All my best,
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