Fronteras is delighted to welcome Kera Newby, the new director of Special Collections at the UT Arlington Main Library. Kera was formerly director of the Dickinson Research Center and Curator of Archives at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City. We sat down recently to learn more about her interests and priorities for Special Collections.
Fronteras: Welcome to your new position as Director of Special Collections at the UT Arlington Library! You hail from Oklahoma, where you were trained in the fields of History and Museum Studies. Can you tell us a little bit about what drew you to this path?
Kera Newby: Thank you. I am overjoyed to be at UTA! I have always loved learning about history, primarily social history and how people’s lives were effected by events that shaped our world today. Art history has also been a central interest of mine, and I thought the best way I could bring those interests together would be as an art curator. I worked to fulfil that goal, but along the way I discovered this incredible profession called “Archivist.” It was actually the perfect way for me to combine my interests and make a difference. I earned my Masters in Library and Information Studies with a focus on Archival Studies from the University of Oklahoma, and that degree was the cherry on top of a long practical education that continuously affirmed archives was the route for me.
Fronteras: You have held more than one position at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, including Director of the Dickinson Research Center. Tell us a little bit about some of the formative experiences and projects you are most proud of having worked on at the NCWHM.
Kera Newby: The National Cowboy Museum is an exceptional institution, and I was very lucky to get to work with such a talented team for nearly 11 years. Archives and museums, to me, are all about making history accessible. We collect these materials so they can be preserved for anyone to access for any reason. If we collect something and it stays behind locked doors forever without anyone seeing it, what was the purpose? I am incredibly proud of the team in the Dickinson Research Center who worked tirelessly to improve access to the collections at the Museum. We upgraded databases so it would be easier for the public to search our records, refined metadata on images and collection descriptions to make them more discoverable to wider audiences, and curated exhibitions for Museum guests to see history through a different lens. I will forever be honored to have curated exhibitions that challenged the traditional narratives around the history of the American west and American western art.
Fronteras: What is your vision for Special Collections and its role at the library and the university?
Kera Newby: UTA has a bright shining gem on the sixth floor of the library. Special Collections, or SPCO as I’ve learned call it, is full of robust collections with limitless opportunities for research, interpretation, and creative use. I can’t tell you how excited I am to be here! My vision for SPCO is in three parts: access, access, and access. I want to make sure students know about SPCO and how to use our digital and physical materials; I want to bring SPCO into classrooms throughout campus by partnering with faculty and departments; and I want to spread the word about SPCO to off campus users who will find amazing treasures in our collections. The great thing about this vision is it’s not just about me – the SPCO team are vibrant archivists, librarians, and creative minds who have already made inroads into each part of the vision. Together I know we are going to continue to build on their successes!
Fronteras: The value of the digital and virtual in relation to access is quite evident but can you help our readers think about the role and value of physical artifacts and originals in a setting like Special Collections?
Kera Newby: Nothing can replicate holding a book from the 1490s or a letter from the 1800s. Feeling the paper and reading what’s written creates a connection between us in 2023 and the human who printed or wrote the original. It’s time travel! The physicality of touching paper that someone else wrote on 200 years ago keeps that person and their experiences alive. It makes history and research interactive in a way that viewing materials online can never duplicate. The access provided by digitization and putting materials online is fantastic, but there’s no denying the special feeling that happens when you’re in our research spaces and get to touch the originals.
Fronteras: Can you tell us about any item in Special Collections that you have discovered since your arrival that has really piqued your interest?
Kera Newby: I’m having so much fun exploring the collections and trying to wrap my mind around the absolutely incredible resources here at Special Collections! Every day I come across or learn about something that surprises me and makes me want to learn more. Recently I’ve been exploring an incredible collection of original editorial cartoons by Etta Hulme. She was the first woman in Fort Worth Star Telegram’s editorial department, and she drew over 10,000 cartoons in her career from 1972-2008. Her cartoons offer a fascinating look at local, regional, and national events. There’s so much to discover!
