Since
the Joint Archives opened its doors in 1988, Wagenaar has been its director.
While he started as a one-person office with a small number of researchers,
the facility has now grown to a full-time staff of three, four part-time employees,
and eight volunteers. It currently serves between 100 and 125 researchers every
month.
“It was a difficult decision to leave the Joint Archives,” commented Wagenaar. "The staff has been wonderful to work with, and I have enjoyed the challenges that the last dozen years have brought with it. But it was also apparent to me that this new challenge was a wonderful opportunity to bring fresh leadership to Michigan’s oldest cultural organization and have a broad impact on the preservation and advancement of our state’s heritage.”
Building the program was one of Wagenaar’s most enjoyable tasks. As its first director, he brought many new initiatives to the Joint Archives. They included establishing methods to communicate with the public, such as the Quarterly, conducting innovative programs and conferences, and building staff resources. Early decisions, such as not moving forward with a traditional card catalog but using computer cataloging instead, were ground breaking and put the repository in the forefront of bibliographic control and access to the collection. The JAH was also on the forefront of web access. Its historical materials are now searchable from around the world.
“I can remember publishing the first Guide to the Collections in 1989. It was a landmark volume for finding historical material on Holland’s history at that time,” according to Wagenaar. "Now we look at that first effort and see how far we have come, with full World Wide Web searchable access. Three different collections archivists have also had a profound impact. It's been fun to be a part of that.”
"As the founding Director of the Joint Archives of Holland in 1988, Larry Wagenaar took our vision and translated it into reality. He very effectively promoted the interests of all three cooperating institutions and thereby attracted significant new holdings for the Trust, the Seminary and the College. Through his writings, he demonstrated that archival records can be brought to life and made relevant to contemporary society. Through his leadership in professional organizations across the state, he helped to enhance public appreciation for preserving historical records and making them accessible both to scholars and to the general public. The Joint Archives of Holland is highly regarded by other professionals because of the high standards and professional excellence of Larry Wagenaar and his colleagues. Because he has recruited an excellent team, the JAH will continue to flourish. We will miss Larry's vision and energy, but we wish him well as he assumes the leadership of the Historical Society of Michigan." -- Jacob E. Nyenhuis, Provost, Hope College
Moving the Joint Archives to a “contract for services” model in 1994 was probably one of the most important events for the organization, although this was nearly transparent to the public. The facility was threatened with deep cuts in its already very limited staffing. By becoming a regular department of Hope College and offering services under contract to the Holland Museum and Western Seminary, the archives was able to preserve its services and continue to grow.
Since 1989 Wagenaar has also been the volunteer director of the Holland Area Historical Society, a group that meets monthly for lectures, tours, site visits, and other historical activities. Struggling just over a decade ago with less than 30 members, over 400 people are now part of the Society.
He has also held a number of other state, regional, and national professional posts. These include serving as president of the Michigan Archival Association, board member of the Midwest Archives Conference, and director of the Association for the Advancement of Dutch American Studies.
In addition to being familiar with historical matters in the state, Wagenaar also brings a unique knowledge of the Historical Society of Michigan. From 1992 until 1999 he served on its Board of Directors and was president of the board for two terms, 1996-1998.
Wagenaar will begin his duties at the Historical Society of Michigan on July 1.
