As one Stone-Campbell collecting institution among many, the Disciples of Christ Historical Society seeks to build strong relationships with other repositories engaged in the work of preserving and proclaiming the movement’s history. Having had the privilege of hosting Phillips Seminary special collections and archivist librarian Phillipa Rosman in Bethany last December,  president & historian Joel Brown and senior archivist Colleen McFarland Rademaker took to the road in March. Brown’s invitation to preach at Chapman University’s 40th Annual Founders Day provided a timely opportunity to meet the staff of Pepperdine University’s Boone Special Collections and Archives and Chapman University’s Special Collections and Archives.

The archivists and librarians of Pepperdine and Chapman welcomed us with open arms – and opened books and archival boxes. At Pepperdine, director and archivist Lucy Perrin and curator Jerry Rushford selected unique rare books and items from the Churches of Christ Heritage Collection for viewing, including a spectacularly illuminated 16th century Franciscan antiphonal and hymnals used worldwide by Churches of Christ missionaries. A tour of the collection storage facilities (recently upgraded with a National Endowment for the Humanities grant), the digitization suite, exhibition spaces, and reading room provided inspiration for the addition planned for DCHS’s building in Bethany. And conversations about collecting policies, digital asset management platforms, and collection management challenges revealed areas of common interest and collective challenge.

Similarly, Annie Tang, chair of Archives & Special Collections, and Lauren McDaniel, coordinator of Special Collections, introduced us to Chapman’s Disciples of Christ Collection. They showed us the books, periodicals, and archival documents on display for the following day’s Founders Day tour. They also discussed with us the use of the Disciples materials and other special collections in the Chapman curriculum. Chapman students’ contributions to the Archives & Special Collections digital exhibitions program piqued our interest.  We are eager to explore whether DCHS and its stakeholders could build similarly compelling exhibitions using the same software.  

We are grateful for our California colleagues’ hospitality and insights, and we are reflecting on the common interests and needs that arose in these initial, all too brief exchanges.  Collecting institutions are at their best when working together to address challenges and improve researcher access to materials. We look forward to continuing the conversations begun in California and exploring together opportunities for future collaboration.