Our Lady of the Lake University (OLLU) in San Antonio has closed its Center for Mexican American Studies and Research. The center’s work will be redistributed across the university, which officials say will make the collections more accessible.

Preserving History and Culture

The center’s space and collections will be preserved, and its work will be divided among multiple departments, including finding grants, partners, and public engagement initiatives. The special collections, including the Mexican-American collection, the Spanish Colonial collection, and the María Antonietta Berriozábal collection, are now managed by the university’s Library under OLLU Library Director Maria Cabaniss and Liana Morales, special collections and archives librarian.

The center’s former director, Christopher Carmona, expressed concerns about the future of the center, stating that the move came as a surprise to him and that he fears the actual focus on Mexican-American culture will be diluted or completely lost. However, OLLU officials say that the change is an expansion of access, rather than the dissolution of any programs.

Increasing Accessibility

OLLU Provost Alan Silva stated that the university has a gold mine of great archives and special collections, but many people are not aware of them. The goal is to increase accessibility and make the collections more visible to the public. The university plans to digitize the archives, replace storage containers, and hire helping hands to properly process each collection.

Morales and Cabaniss hope to address the issues of funding and lack of full-time staff, especially expert archivists, with the help of grants, university funds, and volunteer help. They envision seeking the help of community and student volunteers to help document each item in the collections that haven’t yet been explored.

Original reporting: San Antonio Report — read the source article.