Since expanding its hours at the beginning of 1996, the Joint Archives of Holland has seen a more than 30 percent increase in the number of patrons using its historical collections. The Joint Archives expanded its hours to 9-5 Monday through Friday at the start of the year. Nearly 130 researchers visited the archives in January.
I'm very excited about the additional services that we are able to provide the Holland community and to researchers who come to visit the Joint Archives, both locally and from across the United States and overseas, said Larry Wagenaar, director of the Joint Archives.
We are committed to providing wide accessibility to the historical resources that are stored at the Joint Archives.
Prior to January 1, the Joint Archives was open from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, although patrons could make an appointment to undertake research in the morning. As the Sesquicentennial approaches, having longer hours will allow Archives staff to better serve the large array of patrons doing research on different aspects of the Holland community.
Since increasing our hours to 9-5 Monday-Friday, the Joint Archives has seen a 35% increase in the number of researchers visiting the repository each month. In April, 175 individuals came to the Joint Archives to undertake research including social activities on the Hope campus, an in-depth look at church records, and near daily use of the Holland City News and Holland Sentinel microfilm.
We are excited by this increased usage of our collections and are working to keep up with your reference and research assistance needs.
The Joint Archives of Holland is now seeking a new professional archivist to fill the position of Collections Archivist with the Rank of Assistant Professor. We hope to begin interviews in October and have our new archivist on board by January 1997. An MLS from an ALA accredited library school or an MA in History, with a two years archival experience is required. For a full position description contact the Joint Archives.
Planning on visiting the archives for in-depth research? With the departure of one of our archivists there may be times when patrons visiting the Joint Archives of Holland find only limited reference services are available.
Should you be travelling some distance to visit the Joint Archives, an advance appointment is recommended by calling (616) 395-7798.
The staff at the Archives has had a busy summer accessioning and processing new collections. Below are just a few of the newsworthy additions.
Luciano Hernandez has donated records of his work with the Ottawa County Commission. These records give insight into the workings of the commission and their relationship to Holland s citizens. They will complement our recent addition of City of Holland records such as City Council minutes and Human Relations Commission minutes. Well known local historian and author Donald Van Reken has donated his research materials created while he and Randy Vande Water wrote their history of the Holland Furnace Company. Many photographs and company records make up the primary source material that makes this collection so exciting.
Processing has become a back room obsession and we have many new collections open for research as a result of the hard work and dedication of the Joint Archives staff. Records of the Holland Furniture Company, organized in 1894, include many furniture catalogs and complement the records of the West Michigan Furniture Company. We encourage anyone with other local furniture company catalogs to bring them into the Archives. These catalogs are crucial records for people researching pieces of furniture.
Another crucial record for research is cemetery records. We now have original records of Pilgrim Home Cemetery dating back to 1855. The oldest cemetery in Holland, Pilgrim Home was founded as Het Kerkhof Van Holland in 1847. Records include board minutes, lot registries, and maps.
The history of Holland's Third Reformed Church, organized in 1867, is well represented by over six linear feet of the church s records and by Dr. Elton Bruins' recently revised history entitled The Americanization of a Congregation. Records include consistory minutes, newsletters, church society records (such as Ladies Aid and women s missionary society), and church bulletins.
The Century Club, a private social club established in 1897 and still going strong with 100 members today, has been home to many of Holland's most influential men and women. Records include meeting minutes from 1909-1963 as well as a recently published history of the club's past presidents.
If you've ever wondered how banks managed their accounts before computers and ATMs, we now have records available from Holland's oldest banks: Holland City State Bank, First State Bank, Holland State Bank, First National Bank, and Peoples State Bank. A long history of mergers connects Holland City State Bank to First National Bank. Peoples State Bank has many photographs and a detailed history of its beginnings. Important financial information about early local businesses is also contained in these records.