Texas Historical Records Advisory Board

Archival Award of Excellence

The Texas Historical Records Advisory Board (THRAB) is pleased to announce that the C.L. Sonnichsen Special Collections at the University of Texas at El Paso Library and Brenda Lincke Fisseler, former volunteer with Lavaca County, have been chosen to receive the 2019 Archival Award of Excellence. The award recognizes significant achievements in preserving and improving access to historical records in any format by a Texas archival institution and individual.

“This year’s recipients serve as stellar examples of how dedication and ingenuity can help ensure that archival records are not only preserved, but made even more useful for future generations,” said Jelain Chubb, State Archivist and the board’s coordinator.

The board selected the C.L. Sonnichsen Special Collections at the University of Texas at El Paso Library as the recipient for the award in the institutional category for their Casasola Project. With the Casasola Project, Special Collections personnel employ crowdsourcing to help identify unnamed individuals featured in the images from their Casasola Studio photograph collection. Not only does the collection of photos highlight the people and culture of Texas, but the Library has enhanced the value of the images by partnering with the community for biographical and historical information. In so doing, members of the general public have contributed narrative context to the collection and connected personal history with the greater purpose of archives work.

THRAB selected Brenda Lincke Fisseler as the recipient for the award in the individual category for her extensive work with Lavaca County records. Ms. Fisseler helped coordinate an initiative to rescue, preserve, properly house and facilitate access to historical records documenting the county that led to the creation of the Lavaca County Archives. She has demonstrated the enormous impact one individual may have on preserving our collective history.

About the Texas Historical Records Advisory Board (THRAB):

THRAB serves as an advisory body for historical records planning and supports efforts to preserve and provide access to archival collections throughout the state. Funding for THRAB is provided by the National Historical Publications Records Commission, the grant-making arm of the National Archives and Records Administration. The state archivist is appointed by the governor to preside over the nine-member board.

For more information on the Archival Award of Excellence and other THRAB activities visit www. thrab.org.