TAMIU Designated as Regional Historical Resource Depository
Local and area residents doing historical research will soon have a new resource to tap into at Texas A&M International University. The Texas State Library and Archives Commission (TSLAC) has approved TAMIU’s petition to be designated as a Regional Historical Resource Depository (RHRD).
“TAMIU’s Sue and Radcliffe Killam Library will serve as the depository for a six-county region including the counties of Dimmit, La Salle, Maverick, Webb, Zapata and Zavala,” explained Rodney M. Webb, Killam Library director.
“The historical resources placed with the Killam Library Special Collections and Archives will include government records of permanent value transferred to the custody of the TSLAC under the Local Government Code, Title 6, Subtitle C. Title to these records remains with the Texas State Library and Archives Commission even after the transfer to a depository,” Webb added.
The records for most of the counties consist of materials in a microfilm format, but there are also original records for Webb and Zapata counties.
“The historic records of the RHRD will strengthen the quality of local research materials by adding the dimension of primary sources of information. This will further support the research mission and goals of the University,” said Jeanette Hatcher, Special Collections librarian, who will be in charge of the RHRD.
RHRDs have the following responsibilities: provide supervision and enforcement of state regulations for use of the records; assist the TSLAC in the collection and processing of select public records relating to the geographical area assigned to the depository; provide suitable research space for researchers and make the materials available to the public at established hours; provide stack area, shelving and supervision for the storage, protection and servicing of all materials placed in the depository—RHRD records must be maintained in a shelving area closed to the public and brought out to the public service area for use, as needed; and fulfill reasonable requests for reference service on the materials placed in the depository and maintain records of such service.
The depository makes historical resources available to researchers free of charge, but they may be charged for photocopies of historical resources made on depository equipment or to reimburse the depository for postage or other direct costs incurred in assisting a person.
In future, the University may also work with the other counties and the TSLAC to transfer original, historical records from those counties for preservation in the Killam Library’s Special Collections and Archives.
Microfilm holdings to be transferred to the Killam Library for Webb County include: County Court criminal docket (1883-1887), County Court minutes (1884-1935), deed records (1848-1887), marriage records (1852-1909), probate minutes (1851-1911), Naturalization Declarations of Intention (1883-1906), District Court minutes (1851-1911), and tax rolls (1851-1910).
“After the records have been transferred to TAMIU, a listing of the records will be made available on the Killam Library’s Web site. The list will also be posted on the Texas State Library and Archives Web site. No specific date has yet been established for the transfer; however, our goal is to have the administrative and physical transfer completed during the Spring semester 2007,” Webb explained.
The designation as a Regional Historical Resource Depository enhances the Killam Library’s Special Collections and Archives as a center for research into regional history. The area housing the Special Collections and Archives is currently under renovations that will provide new and improved physical space for this expanded role.
Hatcher added, “TAMIU is pleased to assume the role of a regional depository in order to make county records available at a site closer to home for the citizens of Webb and Zapata County. Currently, those records reside at the regional depository located in Edinburg, Texas. The microfilm records of the other counties are currently available in Austin at the TSLAC, so their transfer to TAMIU will also make them available at a more convenient location for the people of Dimmit, La Salle, Maverick and Zavala Counties.”
For more information, please contact Webb at 326.2400, e-mail rwebb@tamiu.edu or visit the Killam Library.
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