University of Iowa Extends Its Collaboration with Accessible Archives, Inc.(C)

MALVERN, Pa., June 17 /PRNewswire/ -- Accessible Archives, Inc., an electronic publisher of primary source full-text historical databases, has signed an agreement with the University of Iowa to preserve in digital format a number of primary source publications from the Civil War era. The major public research university located in Iowa City counts among its holdings various Civil War memoirs, pamphlets, and regimental histories, which up to now have been available only for those with access to its Special Collections Department.  Once the materials have been digitized and made fully searchable, they will become a new portion - an additional part - of The Civil War, a collection from Accessible Archives that has been well received by university and public libraries.

The University of Iowa is a member of the Committee on Institutional Cooperation (CIC).  For 50 years, the CIC world-class research institutions have advanced their academic missions and served the common good by sharing expertise, leveraging campus resources, and collaborating on innovative programs.  Last year, under the auspices of the CIC, the University of Iowa and other CIC members were able to supply missing issues of Godey's Lady's Book to Accessible Archives, resulting in a publishing partnership opportunity that has allowed other libraries around the world to gain access to these rare issues.

Among the Civil War books soon to be preserved and made searchable are: One Year's Soldiering, Embracing the Battles of Fort Donelson and Shiloh, written by the chaplain of the Fourteenth Iowa Infantry and published in 1863; Sketches of the War, 2nd Edition, by Charles Henry Nott, published in 1865; and The Twenty-First Regiment of the Iowa Infantry, by George Crooke, published in 1891. Full-page images will be included, giving researchers access to the text, photographs, portraits, maps, and illustrations found in the original print format.   The Iowa publications will complement the Civil War newspapers and memoirs that are already online, which were obtained from the Godfrey Memorial Library and Vincennes University.

Edward Shreeves, Director of Collections and Scholarly Communication and an Associate University Librarian at the University of Iowa, offered these comments: "We are delighted to extend the collaboration begun with Godey's Lady's Book and provide material from the University of Iowa Special Collections to enhance Accessible Archives' The Civil War. Iowa provided more troops per capita than any other state in the Union, and Iowa men fought in nearly all the campaigns and major battles, were captured and imprisoned in the South, and after the war wrote about their experiences and came together frequently in reunions.  All of this is documented in the University of Iowa contribution."

Tom Nagy, Accessible Archives COO, replied: "I think the publications from Iowa will be a great addition and enhancement to the material that we already have.  Many times, the Midwest is overlooked as far as Civil War coverage and I think this collection will help to improve that."  

Unlimited Priorities Corporation© facilitated the collaborative project between the university and the database publisher and will oversee sales and marketing, as well as other aspects of the process. Iris Hanney, founder and President of Unlimited Priorities, recently expanded her company's services by introducing the Archival Initiatives Division, which provides advice to libraries, historical societies, and industry associations in selecting, distributing, and monetizing their valuable archival content. Unlimited Priorities handles such details as licensing, investigating rights ownership, selecting a data conversion vendor, overseeing the digitization process, and more.  

Accessible Archives is exhibiting at the American Library Association 2010 Annual Conference and Exhibition in Washington, D.C. (Booth #4047), from June 25 - 28.

About Accessible Archives

Founded in 1990, Accessible Archives utilizes computer technology to provide vast quantities of archived historical information previously available only in microformat.  Diverse primary source materials reflecting broad views across American history and culture have been assembled into comprehensive databases.  Developed by dedicated instructors and students of Americana, these databases allow access to the rich store of materials from leading books and periodicals then current.  Accessible Archives will continue to add titles covering important topics and time periods to assist scholars and students at all academic levels.  Accessible Archives has retained Unlimited Priorities Corporation as its exclusive sales and marketing agent.

SOURCE Accessible Archives, Inc.