MSLIS Drexel Dragons in Germantown: An Archiving Initiative

North of the University City campus lies another den for Drexel Dragons.

The Joseph E. Coleman Northwest Regional Library (JEC), a branch of the Free Library of Philadelphia in the Germantown neighborhood, employs several Drexel graduates.

There, Drexel College of Computing & Informatics (CCI) alumna Molly Ward, MS in library and information science '24, and current Master of Science in Library & Information Science (MSLIS) student Najla Rashad '27 collaborated with other staffers to create the Germantown Community Archiving: Let’s Make Histories! kickoff event, held October 29.

Ward, a JEC Adult and Teen Librarian, and Rashad, a Library Trainee in the JEC adult and teen department, wove the event together from several threads.

First, Ward recalled the “incredible amount of energy and joy that went into creating programming for families here” while observing a previous event Rashad had planned.

Another influence was Ward’s work assignment to review JEC’s collection of Germantown history books. In doing so, the thought struck her: “’What kinds of stories are not in these books? What kinds of stories are a part of this community's history that have not yet been recorded? And what can we do to change that?’”

Collaborating with like-minded colleagues brought everything together:

“We suddenly realized that we had four library staff who were very interested in looking at history in new ways, and so we thought it would be fun to have some sort of event,” said Ward. “With thinking about archives as a kind of tool of community engagement, we started looking for ways to engage with Germantown about its history.”

Their teamwork soon led to not just one archiving event, according to Ward, but plans for several.

“[It became] a whole season of programming devoted to looking at how we make and share histories, and how we can do a better job of that,” said Ward.

An “archiving fair”

The Germantown Community Archiving: Let’s Make Histories! kickoff greeted guests with several archiving activities, including digital scanning, oral history recording, genealogical searching, scrapbooking, microfilm browsing and conversations with community members about the history and future of Germantown.

“Each activity from the archiving fair will become its own form of programming in 2025,” according to Ward, with a digital scanning event scheduled a bit earlier, in December.

“This was like a pilot,” said Rashad.

Hailing from Texas originally, Rashad was not familiar previously with the rich archiving tradition several Germantown community groups uphold.

“I'm getting to know of all of these historical organizations who are involved in this Germantown history and archiving,” she said.

Community groups present at the event included Cliveden, Wyck Historic House, Johnson House, Historic RittenhouseTown, Lest We Forget Museum of Slavery, Healing Verse Germantown, PA Photos & Documents and Crossroads Women's Center.

Through these events, those Germantown organizations with a treasure-trove of material but not yet a robust archive will have the chance to learn from experts.

The librarians were thoughtful in their approach to the set-up.

“We very intentionally set up our tabling map, so that historic houses whose mission is to make and share history are tabled alongside organizations that are at the beginning stages of approaching how to archive their own histories — who don't necessarily have experience with that,” Ward recalled.

“I’m proud of that,” she said.

In addition to community organizations, individual residents tabled at the event.

“To see the different scales of storytelling happening alongside each other was really fun,” said Ward.

“I would say there were lots of connections made,” added Rashad.

Rashad mentioned a highlight for her was seeing participants interacting at the event.

“There was like a buzz in the air. The library was not a quiet place. It was the conversating, the laughing, and people sharing their information, their stories,” she said.

“Literally making histories here”

Ward pointed to an organization whose representative made valuable connections during the Germantown Community Archiving event as another focal point.

“For smaller organizations like St. Luke's Church, they have an archival committee, and they're at the beginning stages of archiving their rich history, which includes really important civil rights history in the United States as well,” she said.

A St. Luke’s representative not only connected with Cliveden historic site to draw attention to their own historic cemetery, they also connected with Nicole Joniec from PA Photos & Documents to discuss creating their own digital collection under the umbrella of JEC and the Free Library of Philadelphia.

The librarians from JEC are working with this organization, which has loaned the library several professional archival-quality scanners, according to Ward.

“That is going to be how we are building our digital collection, and we'll be using their platforms,” she said.

The platforms will provide the public access to JEC’s digital collections, including those that document its history. In addition, it allows the librarians to create subcollections, “reflecting the histories brought in and shared by our community members,” said Ward.

“A key part of this event and the work over the next season is about literally making histories here. We’re saying, ‘bring your history to us, and here is a flash drive. Take it home with you, and also, if you would like to be a part of public history, you may, and we would welcome your contributions to our history of Germantown,’” Ward explained.

The library will provide a collection to each local group.

“There will be a St. Luke's Church digital collection, there will be a Crossroads Women's Center digital collection, and hopefully, more. And this is just an incredibly exciting opportunity for us to be able to offer history-making and -sharing digital services to our community and help keep or bring public history into the public library,” said Ward.

“We are such a Drexel library”

The Joseph E. Coleman Northwest Regional Library opened in 1978 in its current location on Chelten Avenue and, according to Rashad, ever since has served as a touchstone for Germantown’s residents. 

“The people of this community — they come in [as] adults: ‘Wow! This library is still here. This is where I used to come when I was a kid,’” said Rashad.  “So, the library is like part of the community. And physically it's just a beautiful place.”

Part of that beauty and another jumpstart to patron memories is JEC’s very own dragon: Regional Ricky, a carved-wood statue installed in 1978.

“We have this giant dragon that's been here forever, and that's like the focal point of the library,” Rashad said. “People remember the dragon. They're bringing their children here. So it's like generations and generations that are attending this library.”

Regional Ricky is in good company, surrounded by patrons and “dragons” of a slightly different nature.

In addition to Ward and Rashad, four Drexel alumni work at the JEC branch: Toni Hoagland '74; Stephanie Bujak '07; Andrea Shumsky '96; and Jane Easley '12.

“We are such a Drexel library,” said Ward.

“I never thought I would be a librarian”

Rashad became interested in librarianship while working as a seasonal employee at the library in 2017. A boost from the librarians helped her realize a new career path and pursue the MSLIS at Drexel CCI.

“It was through encouragement. Working with some great librarians who have been in this library system for 20-plus years,” she recalled.

“I never thought I would be a librarian; that was not on my radar at all. So now I feel like I'm in good company.”

The path to JEC for Ward wound through New York City, where she worked as a theater actor for 20 years, and Bryn Mawr College, where she taught for six. At that point, she remembered feeling drawn to new methods of storytelling.

“I chose Drexel because I was interested in learning digital tools to storytell in new ways. I firmly am someone who's rooted in the physical world. And I've really enjoyed learning to work with digital storytelling and archiving kinds of tools,” she said.

After graduation, Ward began working at JEC in 2024.

 “I love being here so much. I feel like I can't believe I almost didn't figure this out. I love every day,” she said.

“Archives is not a destination”

Both drew on lessons from MSLIS courses to develop Germantown Community Archiving: Let’s Make Histories!

“Jane Greenberg (CCI Professor of information science) said, ‘your data is always someone else's metadata’ and the cyclical motion of data to metadata to data is something that changed the way I think and helped me bring my acting background into information science,” said Ward.

For Rashad, the archiving event related directly to current coursework.

“I'm just learning about metadata and information — how information is collected and working with archiving and people's information,” said Rashad. “I draw on that because I'm learning how important information is. And how much information can be gained from what looks like something simple.”

“I think collecting information and building databases of information and classifying them and categorizing them — that has resonated with me through this program and process,” Rashad said.

Ward recalled another lesson that has colored her outlook on the projects.

While discussing the Crossroads Women’s Center’s archives, she said, “We must be intentional in our practice of, you know: pulling heavy things out of a basement and just dealing with them, trying to just do our best to strategize. Do our best to be organized, do our best to care for these materials.”

“Archives is not a destination. Archives is a place of engagement and storytelling and sharing — and that's pretty similar to the mission of a public library and digital tools,” said Ward.

“So many different seeds planted”

With JEC embarking on its archiving events series in the new year, Ward and Rashad are excited for what’s next at the library and beyond.

“We've gotten so many different seeds planted — different ways that this can go,” said Rashad.

First, they are assessing the community’s feedback through a survey. In addition, the librarians want to encourage more individuals to attend archiving events alongside the organizations.

Next, Ward and Rashad are eyeing the 2025 American Library Association (ALA) Annual Conference & Exhibition to share findings from the archiving event.

“Philly is the host city for 2025. So, we put together a proposal about this event, and how other libraries can implement the same program. We're hoping to be approved for that to be presenters,” said Rashad.

“It's considered an educational program. So, it would be us sharing our findings from a year of looking at community engagement through the lens of archiving or using an archivist's toolkit to engage in a deeper way with a community. It would be sharing our findings and stirring conversations among librarians,” said Ward.

The additional digital archiving work for Crossroads Women’s Center, among other Germantown organizations, is also on the agenda:

“They have already done the work to create a digital collection. And they're working to expand it now, and we're hoping to give them more resources to do that,” Ward said. “Can we use our role as public librarians to reframe history-making as a dialogue with the community we serve? That’s what we’re trying to do.”

All the while, JEC will continue its central role in the Germantown community.

“It's a place of gathering, a safe space for people to come into to utilize the services,” said Rashad.  “The library being located in Germantown — it's like it's a part of it all.”

Learn more about upcoming archiving and other events at the Joseph E. Coleman Northwest Regional Library or check out JEC's Instagram (@jeclibrary) for updates.

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