Michigan State University alumni will now be able to access campus memories from across the globe as the MSU Yearbook collection at the MSU Libraries has recently been digitized, with 128 class albums from 1877 onward available online.
The completion of this project was made possible in large part by a fundraising campaign initiated in Spring 2022 to support the MSU Yearbook Digitization Project. Donors contributed nearly $27,000 toward the digitization of the MSU Yearbooks within the University Archives and Historical Collections, supporting the creation of high-resolution, long-term digital scans of every volume of the MSU Yearbook since its first iteration as a class album in 1877. The scans also have searchable text online, allowing those accessing the material to search for specific names, events or other items that existed on campus since the time when MSU was known as the State Agricultural College.
MSU Libraries Director of Development Caitlyn Perry Dial spoke to the importance of this project for campus as well as the greater Spartan community. “Our mission in seeing this project completed was to help alumni revisit their cherished memories and provide insight into the Spartan spirit that helped make Michigan State University what it is today,” she said.
While the MSU Libraries engaged Backstage Library Works to digitize the bulk of the MSU Yearbooks in the collection, UAHC Archivist Jennie Rankin said that about 20 yearbooks were kept at the MSU Libraries for digitizing in-house. Rankin, who marshalled the MSU Yearbook Digitization Project, explained that class albums that were “too old, too fragile or one-of-a-kind” received digitization treatment at the Libraries. The in-house process to digitize these yearbooks takes on average between three and six months, Rankin said, in part because of the cross-collaboration involved from various Libraries units. “Accessibility was a really important piece of this project, and in talking to the Backstage folks, we realized that we would have to offer more support on that end, which meant bringing in the Libraries’ Accessibilities Unit alongside our Digital Imaging Services team.”
Rankin also noted the value in having MSU Yearbooks immediately available for research purposes, and especially for those looking for more information about their time on campus than might be provided by a commencement program or student directory. “Most students might be mentioned in the yearbook, commencement program and student directory, but that’s about the extent of information you’re going to find,” Rankin said. “Many reference requests we receive at UAHC involve people researching information about a family member that attended MSU. With the yearbooks digitized, people can see for themselves if their family member attended, when and if they were involved in any sports or clubs. The MSU Yearbooks are one of our ‘go-to’ reference items when it comes to family research questions and by having them online, alumni and family can share that information with anyone from the comfort of their home, without having to travel to East Lansing.”
To view the MSU Libraries’ MSU Yearbooks Collection, visit the digital repository. To learn more about supporting initiatives and programming at MSU Libraries, visit the online giving page.
This story originally appeared on the MSU Library website.