(Note: This post was authored by Taylor McNeilly, Processing & Reference Archivist.) Welcome back to #WyattWalkerWednesdays on the blog! It’s been awhile, but not because we haven’t been making progress – quite the opposite! We’ve been so busy with the Dr. and Mrs. Wyatt T. Walker Collection, among many other things. And luckily, I can finally give some updates! This week, I’d like to talk about a new space we’re now using to hold and process the collection.

As you might recall from earlier posts, we finished some renovations to the Rare Book Room and the vault in May. While these renovations were ongoing, we had packed away the entire collection from the Rare Book Room and held them in storage. Once the renovations were completed, the books began to be shifted back into their new space. This, of course, opened up the storage space for use. And, being large and secluded with high security and appropriate environmental controls, it was perfect for storing the unprocessed majority of the Walker collection while allowing me space to work on it. And so, after enough of the books had been shifted, I moved the Walker collection down to its new processing space.

A portion of the Walker Collection awaiting processing.

As you can see, there’s plenty of the collection still waiting to be processed. This material has been organized primarily by format, so you’ll notice stacks of photographs, posters, a small group of digital files, and a box of awards. Similarly, the remaining boxes are all full of manuscript material, which comprises the bulk of the collection and is the current focus on processing.

Further Walker Collection materials in storage and the processing workspace.

The best part about the new space is that it allows me some small room for processing, which has helped to keep the processing workflow moving. This has allowed us to move through new material and add to our understanding of Dr. Walker, his life, and the collection itself.

This increased understanding of the collection has also opened new avenues for us. While we can’t say too much in the way of details, I am allowed to say that we are working on multiple exhibits of some of the processed material. These exhibits will take place in the coming year, and more information will be announced as plans are finalized – so keep your eyes open! I’ll report more here when I can. And of course, I will continue to give updates on the processing of the collection and when we expect to open it for research and use.