BU History Archives Going Digital

A new initiative to preserve more than 100 years of Bluefield University history began during the fall of last year.

According to the BU Public Relations Office, this archival project includes the transference of pictures, VHS tapes, and yearbooks into PDF files. Daniel Mullins, coordinator of creative content and social media at Bluefield, heads this project. He said that most of what has been digitized so far are yearbooks. In fact, a total of 14 BU yearbooks have been transferred to PDFs.

Various pictures and VHS recordings have also been reformatted and posted on Bluefield University’s YouTube channel.

”The plan is to have a section of the website,” Mullins said, “where all of that is centralized and can be accessed by alumni.”

Mullins said there are two overall goals in digitizing BU’s history. The first goal is “to engage with alumni and allow them to look back on their time here.” He added, “this is a way they can go back and see [memorabilia] they have lost over the years and reminisce.” The second goal is for BU to preserve its own history.

“If [the archives] were left alone and not preserved somehow they would easily be lost,” Mullins said.

Wendy Beavers, an assistant professor of history at Bluefield, spoke about what it means for Bluefield University’s history to be digitized.

“Although it is exciting to visit an archive and hold a piece of history in your hands,” Beavers said, “it is just as important to preserve that history and make it accessible. Digitizing the history of the university opens so many doors to connect with others. Anyone around the world can celebrate and/or learn about who we are, why we are here, and why so many of us love Bluefield University.”

Bluefield University’s digitized history will memorialize the impact it has had on the community for more than a century and the influence it will continue to have in the years to come.