While efforts continue to document 4-H history materials available at the national level, much of this information is in repositories not accessible to the general public without making a physical visit. The National 4-H History Preservation team feels it is important to make this material accessible to the general public via the Internet. Therefore, in March 2010 we started a major digitization program, scanning books and other references and placing them on our website, located at http://4-HHistoryPreservation.com

Over 650 items have now been digitized. Most of these are national 4-H materials relating to the National 4-H Council and its two predecessor organizations, including newsletters, annual reports, issues of “National 4-H News,” and Supply Service catalogs. The two major 4-H history books – “The 4-H Story” by Franklin Reck, and “4-H: An American Idea” by Thomas and Marilyn Wessel – have also been digitized, plus other miscellaneous manuals and publications.

Our team feels strongly that the digitization process needs to be a coordinated effort with the states. If anyone knows of 4-H history documents that have already been digitized and are accessible to the public – efforts that can be incorporated into our national digitization program and included on our website – we would appreciate hearing about them. Obviously, there is no need to duplicate effort in digitizing something that has already been done. Let us know at: info@4-HHistoryPreservation.com

From National 4-H History Preservation Program. 4-HHistoryPreservation.com

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