Shining a Light on the Christiansburg Institute: A Collaborative Digitization Effort

Abstract

This exhibit is about how the material history of the Christiansburg institute is being preserved. In 2022, the Council on Library and Information Resources’ Digitizing Hidden Collections grant program awarded Christiansburg Institute, Inc., in partnership with Virginia Tech University Libraries, $251,052 to digitize its collections and establish dual access points to those digital collections. You can view the items digitized so far at hub.catalogit.app/8896 or by scanning the QR code to the right with your phone. The background of this exhibit is made up of a small selection of digitized images from the history of the Christiansburg Institute, chosen by community members connected to the institute and current staff and board members working for Christiansburg Institute, Inc. Here you will see images of official school documents, newspaper clippings, original works produced by CI students and faculty, dolls and sculptures, and photographs of students and faculty. You will also find quotes from CI alumni on the importance of the school to them, how it changed and shaped their lives, and how this digitization project has the potential to preserve this important history for generations to come.