WHO WE ARE
Most Detroit Journeys interviews are the result of students interviewing their older relatives. Through experiential learning, students have created a unique repository of not just their family histories but of the collective experiences of African-American journeys from the South to Detroit and of immigration to Detroit. By studying the individual, it is believed that a cultural context is created for understanding motivations for actions and factors that have led to social and political actions.
OUR HISTORY
Evolution of the Novak Archive and Acknowledgments:
The Oral History project began in 2004 as part of a Teacher-Scholar award received by Professor Dena Scher in the Psychology/ Social Sciences Department of Marygrove College. In 2006, librarian Michael Barnes adapted the digital interviews into a special collection within the auspices of the Marygrove College Library. Bibliographic records were created to allow a searchable interface that could be included in the website and in the Marygrove Library’s Online Catalog.
The Novak Archive was named in honor of John R. Novak, Jr. Dr. Novak was a respected member of the Marygrove College community where he served first as chemistry faculty, then as coordinator for the chemistry department and the natural sciences and physics department. In 1985 he became Academic Dean and then Vice President for Academic Affairs. Dr. Novak died of cancer in 2002, at age 52.
As Academic Dean, Dr. Novak played a critical role in faculty development, by establishing a sabbatical program and several teaching and scholar awards. Additionally, Dr. Novak helped bring the faculty into the digital age by establishing the infrastructure for technology at the college. Dr. Novak’s support for faculty initiated projects and his keen interest in computer technology provided the intellectual climate and resources for the creation of the Novak Archive.
In October 2007, Dr. Dena Scher and Michael Barnes officially opened the site when JoAnn Novak cut a digital ribbon!
In 2010, Christine Malmsten, Electronic Resources Librarian, added enhancements to the underlying structure and public interface of the website and added the use of analytical tracking of visitor data. Christine Malmsten also sharpened our focus on public access to the collection by raising issues of open access and by adding a creative commons license for each interview. Reference Librarian, Jennifer Meachum, initiated the use of the collection as a classroom resource and as the basis of assignments on the urban experience, Detroit neighborhoods, and migration experiences from the rural South to the industrialized North.
In spring, 2010, Dr. Scher received a Scholar-in-Residence award from the Faculty Resource Network (FRN) at New York University (NYU). Michael Stoller, Director of Collections & Research Services for NYU Libraries served as the research consultant for Dr. Scher. Dr. Stoller facilitated consultations regarding oral history collection, preservation and organization of collections, and advanced web design/display.
Nathan Katzin provided professional transcription for interviews. Shane Sevo redesigned the site and web presence in 2013 when the collections were reorganized into the Novak Archive.
Professor Scher facilitated additions to the collection until May, 2015 when she retired as professor emeritae. Access to the collection continued with the support of Mary Kickham-Samy, Library Director at Marygrove College. In 2017, Marygrove College closed and access to the Archive ceased soon after the college's closure.
In 2019, Dr. Shaun Nethercott became the Executive Director. of the Center for Detroit Arts and Culture (CDAC) at Marygrove. Discussion between CDAC staff and the Marygrove Conservancy has led to a re-creation of the Detroit Journeys site. This collaboration lead to a project to reconstruct the interviews from the original collection. Using the Wix program, Dr. Scher established a new site within the Marygrove CDAC. Professional assistance has been gratefully received from Noah Purcell and Christy Malmsten.
