We appreciate your contribution to the NACR
The National Archives of Composition (co-founded over 30 years ago by Bob Connors at UNH and Bob Schwegler at URI) is an indispensable resource for scholars, students, and anyone interested in the history of composition. The archive currently contains a wealth of materials, including manuscripts, correspondence, over four thousand textbooks, writing program records, pedagogical documents and other artifacts related to the theory and teaching of rhetoric and composition in America. But there is much more work to be done to collect, preserve, catalog, and make accessible the modern history of the field.
Last year donations to the NACR amounted to nearly $13K and with those funds we were able to secure a contract with UNH to design and build this website for the NACR, which will house some digital collections, and identify as well as link various local and regional archives across the country. It is currently in the beginning stages of construction. Donations this year will help contribute to the ongoing development and maintenance of this site and fund costs of archival projects, processing of documents and materials, and housing collections. In addition to listing and linking program archives across the country, we hope to start collecting more digital collections and materials, especially from those scholars in the field who have retired or are about to retire.
By supporting this archive, you are helping to preserve our larger disciplinary heritage and to provide a valuable resource for present and future students and scholars. And think about where your own professional papers or program documents will be archived! Remember, every gift of any amount can make a significant impact on the National Archive of Composition and Rhetoric. Donations are also welcome across the year. Please share freely among others whenever and wherever you can.
Thank you all for your support of the National Archives of Composition and Rhetoric as it endeavors to preserve the past, present, and future of these joined fields.