“Louisiana’s Archives in ‘State of Emergency,’ Historians Say”

From the Associated Press*:

Louisiana’s archival and historical records are in a state of emergency. Their destruction “would represent nothing less than a devastating and irreparable loss” of the state’s historical and cultural heritage, according to historians who recently gathered for the Louisiana Historical Association’s annual conference.
A summary by the Louisiana Historical Association called Louisiana’s historical archives “endangered treasures.”
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Laura McLemore, the associate curator and archivist of LSU Shreveport’s Noel Memorial Library, said the state of the state’s archives and the preservation of the state’s history were “a matter of great concern.”
She cited how many of the state’s historical documents are housed in public universities or institutions that leave them vulnerable to damage from Louisiana’s weather and climate, including the LSUS Archives, whose roof experienced significant leaking in 2016.

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* This article originally was published in the Shreveport Times on March 21, 2017. This version includes several images.

Filed under: Archives and Special Collections, Libraries, News, Preservation