195 FACULTY & STAFF Hannah Wood prepares to showcase Harding’s history for its centennial. and Special Collections, were named after Wood’s mother, who inspired her to treasure history. The director of the Brackett Library, Jean Waldrop, said Wood’s personal history with the Harding archives made her an integral part of the library team. “She has a long history with Harding and knows this community well through her own experiences as well as her family’s close ties with Harding,” Waldrop said. “With the upcoming centennial celebration, Mrs. Wood is staying busy with researching various projects. Some people think that working at a library is dull and boring, but Mrs. Wood can testify to the fact that every day brings something new.” Wood also worked on the team for the History House’s various projects throughout the year. Rachel Walters, administrative assistant for the library, worked with Wood for the History House as well as with archive preservation. “It is really great to have someone like Mrs. Wood as we prepare for our centennial,” Walters said. “As the gatekeeper to our collection of Harding’s history, she is a valuable resource for all of campus.” Wood planned to continue spreading awareness to the student body about the vast collection of resources on Harding’s history available in the archives. Written by: Lauren Simmons HOLDING ON TO HISTORY 1846 HYMN BOOK Archives and special collections librarian Hannah Wood shares a special piece in the archives: Hymns from the collection of the Rev. John Wesley, A.M. Photo by: Lauren Simmons Hannah Wood, archives and special collections librarian, worked years in advance to spread awareness of Harding’s rich history as the University prepared for its centennial in 2024. Wood’s job as a librarian involved searching through the University’s archive collection and gathering pertinent information for the upcoming anniversary. She started raising awareness for the approaching celebration in 2013, saying that knowing Harding’s history would help one appreciate the University more. “One of the biggest stories we’re trying to tell with the centennial is that mission of equipping Harding grads to go out and be Christians in the world,” Wood said. “You don’t have to be a preacher or a missionary to do God’s work. I think that’s the strongest legacy we have from the early days of Harding.” Her archival process included scanning presidential papers, uploading historical photographs online, organizing a table of contents for the archives, meeting with various groups around campus to raise archive awareness, and creating an interactive timeline of Harding history. Wood estimated that the website showed only 30% of the information held in the archives, but she and her student workers strove to increase that number. The archives themselves, the Ann Cowan Dixon Archives
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