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WIU students help preserve Illinois history through archives

At Western Illinois University's library, students are playing a key role in preserving history, according to a community announcement. The University Archives and Special Collections department at WIU is home to several hardworking students who maintain records of both local and university history. These collections focus on the cultural, economic and natural heritage of west-central Illinois, as well as university history, including faculty and student organizations, publications, student newspapers, yearbooks, master's theses, photographs, and memorabilia. Two students from Nigeria, Kessiena Erebi and Ifunanya Osondu, have found their place in the Archives and Special Collections department. Erebi, a Public Health graduate student, chose WIU in part because her mother is an alumna. Osondu, a senior nursing student, highlighted the real-world skills being taught at WIU and plans to continue researching after earning her degree. The Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) System, housed within the department, manages the archival records of local governments. Graduate students Abby Troxell-Skaggs and Jodi Clayton serve as interns with IRAD, keeping legal documents accessible to the public. All the students credited their supervisor, library specialist William Cook, for helping guide them through the collections. Cook emphasized the importance of the work they are doing and hopes to ensure these records will be preserved for a long time. "Many of my students over the years have been first generation students; having been a first generation student myself, I find this to be one of the most pleasing aspects of working here at WIU and the Illinois State Archives,' Cook said. 'Whatever our students' majors, they are always excited to see original documents — some over two hundred years old. That excitement expresses itself in the careful and hard work they do for us!" To learn more about the WIU Archives and Special Collections department, visit This story was created by reporter Abreanna Blose, ablose@ with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing process. Learn more at This article originally appeared on The McDonough County Voice: Students at WIU help protect local history through archives Solve the daily Crossword