HOUSEWIVES LEAGUE OF DETROIT COLLECTION
The Housewives League of Detroit Collection (HLD) was gifted to the Detroit Public Library by Mrs. Lydia Hibbert in 1975, and Mrs. Helen Malloy in 1980. The HLD was a prominent organization of Negro women whose mission was to “stabilize the economic status of the Negro through directed spending.” Their efforts helped to sustain and support black-owned businesses, professionals and consumers from the Depression through the Civil Rights era. The HLD collection can be viewed in its entirety at the Detroit Public Library's Burton Historical Collection.
PROJECT INFORMATION
The Housewives League of Detroit Collection consists of the organization’s historical materials including photographs, meeting minutes, forms, correspondence, event-related brochures, programs, announcements and video. Materials were published or created between 1930 and 1970. Collection materials were reviewed, selected, and organized for digitization September-December, 2005. Digitization of the collection’s materials and site design and construction occurred September-December 2006. This project collaboration between the Detroit Public Library and Wayne State University’s Library and Information Science Program, was supported by a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
STAFF
Mark Patrick, Coordinator of the Burton Historical Collection, Detroit Public Library, managed and oversaw the project. Cheri Gay, Digital Librarian at the Detroit Public Library, supervised the digitization and metadata project components. Kathryn Johnson, MLIS-Digital Librarian graduate student at Wayne State University, researched, selected, and organized project materials, digitized the content, created metadata records and provided the site’s design and construction. Victor Ibegbu, MLIS-Digital Librarian graduate student at Wayne State University, digitized, converted, edited, and selected and added audio to the site’s video content.
FUNDING
Funding for the project provided by the Institute of Museum and Library Services’ “Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program” grant, was awarded to WSU and entitled “Recruiting and Educating Librarians for the 21st Century.” The grant-funded program was designed to train students in the field of “digital librarianship.” Wayne State University, in partnership with the Detroit Public Library, provided internships for student-participants which resulted in the creation of this site.
MATERIAL SELECTION
All content of the website was derived or selected from the collection based on the historical context of the HLD, and the organization’s position within local, and national history. These materials were selected based on content of information, type of item, durability, condition, visual impact, and effectiveness in supporting and/or supplementing a web-based history of the organization.
DIGITAL IMAGES & METADATA
Images for the site were scanned using the Epson Expression 1680 and 1640 XL scanners, and saved as TIFF files. Access images are saved in JPEG format, and are 72 dpi, 600 pixels on the long edge. The metadata for the image files was created using Hyperion software, and Library of Congress Authority Files and subject headings.