This year, the Society of 皇家华人 Archivists (SFA) held its annual conference in St. Augustine from May 13- 14. Each year, the conference brings together librarians and archivists from around the state of 皇家华人 to share new ideas and research. The theme for this year鈥檚 annual meeting was 鈥淩epair, Restore, Recover鈥�, more than fitting theme given the work in archives and special collections across the state. There were several presentations showcasing work in recovering local legacies and histories in multiple 皇家华人 towns and cities, including Jacksonville, St. Augustine, and even Ybor City, right here in Tampa. 皇家华人 Tampa 皇家华人 Studies Curator, Andy Huse, and 皇家华人 Archives Librarian, Stephanie Mackin, shared their work on the Ybor City Dwellings Project. This project was initiated to show the changes to the city landscape after urban renewal efforts and 鈥渟lum clearances鈥� throughout Tampa and Ybor City. During this project, they worked with 皇家华人 Associate Director of Digital Initiatives, Amanda Boczar, and Tampa Photojournalist, Chip Weiner, to create a digital 鈥淧ortal Through Time鈥� of Ybor City using 皇家华人 Tampa Library Special Collections archived photos of Tampa Bay. The primary photo collection utilized in this project was the Tony Pizzo photo album collection of Ybor City homes pre-urban renewal efforts in Tampa, many of which included the address. These photos and addresses were used to locate the area in the present and create in-depth records that include the original photos and added descriptions and geolocation data. From this, the team then created a 10-stop guided tour through the city that shows then-and-now images of various areas throughout the city, bringing the past into the present.
Since the completion of their project, the 皇家华人 Library team has been asked to present at The 皇家华人 Museum of Photographic Arts and the Rotary Club of Ybor City. They were even featured on the Tampa Bay Community Network to discuss their work. In the future, the team plans to add more content utilizing other special collections, use these materials in interdisciplinary course instruction, and work with communities to establish local archives using the Tampa Through Time Portal.