The Dr. Hector P. Garcia Papers: Providing Access to Records of an Under-documented

I propose a 7 minute presentation on a project undertaken by TAMU-CC to bring awareness and provide increased access to an important collection, the Dr. Hector P. Garcia papers, which documents his work with and life as a part of the historically under-documented Mexican-American community in South Texas. I will discuss how Special Collections and Archives worked with History Associates to guide their processing of the 600 linear foot collection and creation of a focused Omeka-based digital exhibit. The library also worked with the campus Marketing and Communications & Public Affairs departments to spread the word about the online exhibit through articles on the school website and press releases. We plan to add more access by ingesting all of the digitized items to TAMU-CC's TDL DSpace repository and linking to this content in the collection’s online finding aid. We plan to build upon the excitement this project has generated by next addressing the papers of his sister, Dr. Clotilde P. Garcia, who was also a Corpus Christi doctor and social activist. I am currently developing a processing plan for her 107 linear foot collection and plan to build a focused digital exhibit after I complete processing. We hope to again utilize the TDL to expand digital access.