E-Newsletter

Preserving the Source
An e-newsletter from the Water Resources Archive
at Colorado State University

December 2006
Issue VI

Join us for Water Tables

On Saturday, January 27, CSU Libraries will once again host Water Tables: Dinner and Conversation with the Men and Women making History in Colorado's Waters. A benefit for the Water Resources Archive, Water Tables offers a unique, firsthand experience of Colorado's water resources-past and present-in an intimate dinner setting.

Beginning at 5:00 pm with a reception and tours of the Water Resources Archive in Morgan Library, guests will view photographs, documents, maps, and other artifacts that reveal Colorado's water past while mingling with an array of water experts. Following the tours and reception, guests will be escorted across the plaza to the ballrooms of Lory Student Center where water experts, serving as table hosts, will facilitate engaging topic conversations while dinner is served.

This year's Water Tables hosts include:

Guests at Water Tables 2006

Tickets are $125 per person. Reservations can be made through January 12 by calling 970.491.1833 or by downloading a reservation form.

Proceeds from the event help grow and strengthen archival collections, enable increased digitization of materials, and fund the creation of educational exhibits.

Photo above: Robert Ward, Dave Stewart, and Sierra Standish inspect a map at Water Tables 2006. Back to Top

Looking Forward: A New Exhibit

Controversial constructions in the West, dams nonetheless can have an aesthetic quality. This aspect of dams will be examined in the Archive's next exhibit, "Dam Beautiful." The exhibit will utilize photographs of western dams along with reports, maps, and other materials. Timed in conjunction with Water Tables, "Dam Beautiful" will be on display in the Archives and Special Collections reading room in Morgan Library from mid-January to late February.

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Archive Update: Fast Fall

Fall went quickly, which must have meant a lot of activity. Indeed, among much else, two new finding aids were published. Now online are guides for the Papers of Charles W. Howe, professor emeritus of economics at the University of Colorado-Boulder, as well as the Records of the Godfrey Ditch Company, a small company diverting from the South Platte River in Weld County. Over the fall, staff also created a new traveling exhibit, which debuted in October at the South Platte Forum. In November, a new donation arrived at the Archive: the first batch of the records of GASP (Groundwater Appropriators of the South Platte). As this organization ceases operations, it will be preserving its history with the Water Resources Archive.

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Support the Archive: Sponsor a Graduate Student at Water Tables

The Libraries is now seeking sponsors to support graduate student attendance at the upcoming Water Tables event. Each donation of $125 will enable a CSU graduate student to attend Water Tables in January and support the Archive. Interactions with professionals beyond the classroom lay an important foundation for students seeking to pursue careers in water resources. Attending Water Tables will give these students a unique opportunity to meet and engage with the foremost water experts and help these students make connections within the water community to further their professional growth. To sponsor a graduate student or to become an event sponsor, please contact Andrea Lapsley, Director of Development, at 970.491.6823.

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Virtual Visit: Archival Materials Available Worldwide

Since its first virtual exhibit "Father of the Flume: Ralph Parshall" in 2005, the Archive has expanded its online materials to include more than 3,000 digital pages of reports, three comprehensive exhibits, and more than 25 finding aids. Digital collections greatly increase access to the Archive. Because water resources are very much a global concern, it has become increasingly important for water experts to share materials with one another. The resources of the Archive play an important role in adding to the collective knowledge of water resources development and the online materials facilitate worldwide access. The finding aids are incredibly important as they enable researchers to search the collection before having to visit CSU or request materials. Digital reports, such as those included in the Colorado's Waters Digital Archive, can provide a historical perspective to today's decision makers right at their own desktops. Virtual exhibits such as "Dot Carpenter: The Woman Behind the Man," give patrons a chance to view primary resource materials from their homes, schools, and offices, helping to promote awareness of water issues. Scholars from as far away as Hungary and Australia have accessed materials from the Archive in recent times. Pay us a virtual visit by exploring our Web site.

This quarterly electronic newsletter is designed to keep you informed on the developments with the Water Resources Archive. If you would prefer not to receive further updates, or if you know someone else who would like to receive this, just drop a line to us at development@library.colostate.edu.

This e-newsletter is created by Patty Rettig with the assistance of Judea Franck.