Archives and History Initiative by Carl Zhang and Disty Mahmud
In this talk, DKU archival specialist Ryder Kouba presented his insights and expertise as the university’s archivist and special collections librarian, discussing the types of archives he is building, the importance of preserving materials, and online resources available beyond DKU. He also shared thoughts on how archiving constitutes a form of writing history, which can contribute to the creation of “silences” through decisions about what deserves preservation.
Kouba began by explaining how he supports DKU’s mission in preserving and arranging historically valuable materials. His work also extends to serving administrative needs by maintaining institutional memory and facilitating records management at DKU.
He then discussed the materials he is currently collecting and seeking for the university’s archival collections. These include official records and publications from different departments, as well as brochures and materials from events such as major fairs and signature programs. Part of his role involves active participation in the community, attending various events to collect posters, brochures, and similar materials. A significant aspect of his work is digital, as much of DKU exists online, including WeChat posts. He is also working to capture the intangible stories of student life and daily experiences that do not appear in material records like yearbooks through oral history projects.
Kouba also discussed the Special Collections, which are being built primarily for research purposes. The collections include extensive map holdings and encompass much more than rare books and manuscripts. Materials can be acquired through purchase or donation. One notable example is a donation from an alumna’s father.
He highlighted the advantage of working with a blank slate. Many archives are known for specific topics such as environmental history or labor studies. DKU, as a young institution, represents a blank slate that can be shaped early on with numerous possible topics. The small collection currently focuses primarily on Kunshan, Kunqu opera, and local tourism, with some coverage of Shanghai.
Ryder Kouba recently announced the establishment of the DKU archives website which students can access at archives.dukekunshan.edu.cn. Other resources he recommended include the Library of Congress, New York Public Library Digital Collections, national libraries in many countries (he showed Australia’s as an example), Internet Archive.org, Wikimedia Commons, Harvard Library, David Rumsey Map Collection, the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee’s American Geographical Society Library Map Collection, the Digital Library of the University of Missouri with collections on Suzhou, and Duke University’s digital collections related to China.
Kouba addressed the decision making and labor required to create archives. He raised questions about who decides what enters the repository and emphasized that these are conscious decisions. Ten students and faculty attended. Kouba mentioned a future mini-term course he will co-teach with Professor Giacomelli called CartagraFun, and urged students interested in cartography to consider taking it. Students interested in learning more about DKU’s archives can contact Ryder at rydersewell.kouba@dukekunshan.edu.cn.
Photograph preserved from the Hutchinson family of the Tinglin Park area in Kunshan from 1923, more than 100 years ago, held at the University of Bristol.
Example of a favorite archival material: a Kunshan guidebook from 1934 published by the railway to promote tourism. Ryder Kouba then discussed web archiving and how the DKU website has presented itself over time.
DKU’s new digital archive website.
