Summer days scanning and reading

This week I continued to scan items from the San Bernardino County Flood Control District. Today I learned that the largest flood to occur in San Bernardino in March of 1938 caused severe damage to the area and a loss of approximately 113 to 115 individuals. The devastating damage, brought community members together in an effort to prevent this from happening again, leading to one of the biggest water projects: The San Bernardino
County Flood Control District.

However, unlike other water projects, the community wanted to make sure that this project targeted aspects of water conservation and not just flood control to help make sure that all water regardless of its use was being conserved. The focus of such a project helped not only target the issue at hand but also contribute to the future of water preservation. After today I realized I scanned a total of 200 pages from the San Bernardino County Flood Control District Collection. This number does not include the scans that did not make it. I am glad I was able to contribute to this project. Until next time!

Appreciation for Digitization of Scholarship Resources

Hello everyone,

My name is Cindy and this is my second week as a Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR) Claremont Center for Engagement with Primary Sources (CCEPS) fellow. I am excited to contribute to the efforts to digitize our Southern California water resources from the 19th to the 20th centuries. These time points will allow us to understand the efforts of water development from the lens of federal, state, and local governments to the efforts from water companies and engineers.  I believe this information will be significant as these perspectives will be important to understand the future of water conservation and help support future research.

This week I was scanning the San Bernardino County Flood Control District: flood control reports from 1939 to 1949, along with Biennial/Annual Reports from 1959 to 1962. Scanning these items has allowed me to have a further appreciation for technology advances in scholarship and research. The ability to quickly search and find online versions of documents can be overlooked. Therefore, I am thankful for those who have contributed to the digitization of research and scholarship.  I look forward to working with my fellow CCEPs fellows and Special Collections Staff.