The Rare Books and Special Collections division of the libraryhas opened a new portion of the Dr. and Mrs. Wyatt Tee Walker Collection for research and use with the release of new audiovisual materials now available. Digitized from their original 8mm recordings, the five films included in the collection offer some distinctive moving image materials for researchers to explore and study.
Since digitization, additional work was required to make the films available online and accessible through transcriptions. These 5 silent films have been transcribed by film scholar, LeRhonda Manigault-Bryant, who was a featured panelist at the second Wyatt Tee Walker Symposium in early 2020. Providing the transcriptions in addition to the digitization assists in making the materials ADA compliant by ensuring the audiovisual materials are accessible for screen and text readers. Even more, the transcriptions allow for quick searching for information within the materials. The film reels and their transcriptions can be viewed through the library’s Digital Collections website.
~ Lynda Kachurek, Head of Rare Books & Special Collections