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From YouTube: Center for Local History
Description
"Digitizing opens up a whole world to be able to share these things, but nothing can replace holding that Civil War letter" says Judy Knudsen when describing how Arlington Public Library's Center for Local History is changing, yet remaining the same. Formerly known as the Virginia Room, the new name better describes the scope of work that Judy and her team of archivists do, which includes seeking out and preserving local historical stories.
In this piece, we learn about the amazing story of civil rights activist and former Freedom Rider Joan Mulholland. We follow her as she donates part of her private collection of historical documents that depict her role during the 1960's Civil Rights movement.
A
Over
at
the
Arlington
Public
Library,
our
friend
Judy
knutson,
likes
to
say
you
never
know
who
you
may
be
passing
on
our
streets.
Judy
leads
a
team
of
archivists
at
the
library's
center
for
local
history,
formerly
known
as
the
Virginia
room.
They
scour
Arlington
County,
looking
for
materials
and
people
to
help
tell
Arlington
story,
and
here's
just
one
of
those
amazing
stories
that
you
may
have
even
passed
on
the
street.
B
C
C
B
We
had
to
memorize
bible
verses
in
Sunday
school,
and
so
many
of
those
verses
had
to
do
about
how
to
treat
each
other
do
unto
others,
as
you
would
have
them
do,
unto
you
for
such
as
the
kingdom
of
God.
You
know
love
thy
neighbor
as
thyself
beautiful
verses,
but
we
weren't
doing
it.
I
just
thought
it
was
wrong.
We
weren't
treating
others
like
we'd
like
to
be
treated
and
I
ended
up
at
Duke
University.
My
mother
wanted
me
at
a
segregated
school
some
prestige.
B
Our
Presbyterian
Chaplin,
said
that
there
would
be
a
meeting
at
our
meeting
next
week.
There
would
be
some
of
the
students
who
are
conducting
the
sit-ins,
come
over
from
North
Carolina
College,
and
then
he's
am
quite
an
impressive
young
folks.
Ncc
spoke
to
us
and
invited
us
to
join
them.
So
a
handful
of
us
did.
A
B
B
A
B
Was
pretty
unruly
Memphis
Norman,
the
one
guy
who
was
sitting
in
had
been
pulled
to
the
floor
and
was
being
stomped
by
an
ex-policeman
John
Salter
really
got
it
brass
knuckles,
pepper,
mixed
in
water
and
thrown
in
his
eyes
cigarettes
burned
in
his
neck.
You
can
still
see
the
scars,
but
we
all
got
stuff
dumped
on
us
all.
The
condiments
we
just
sort
of
figured
we
were
going
to
get
killed.
B
C
That
was
a
time
of
such
turmoil
in
the
country
and
has
somebody
who
was
personally
there.
I
mean
there's
nothing
like
seeing
that
first
person,
description
of
something
with
somebody
who
was
actually
there,
the
scrapbook
and
that,
together
with
oral
history,
that
we
have
I
mean
they
dovetail
so
nicely
as
well.
We
knew.
B
C
Oral
history
is
one
of
the
ways
that
you
can
find
out
things
you
not
going
to
find
out
any
other
way
because
most
people
don't
write
their
memoirs.
But
you
can
talk
to
anybody,
you
know,
and
usually
they
have
a
story
to
tell
most
people
have
a
story.
So
there
are
things
in
the
oral
histories
you're
not
going
to
find
anyplace
else.
C
Proactively,
go
out
and
collect
the
material
from
the
organizations
and
the
citizens
of
Arlington
we're
not
just
a
repository.
We
try
to
find
people
who
have
material
that
will
help
tell
the
story
of
the
community.
We
are
digitizing
collections
that
we
already
have
we're
digitizing
photos
and
putting
those
up
we
have
done
postcards.
It's
not
just
scanning.
The
scan
is
great,
but
that's
the
first
step.
It's
then
we
have
to
add
the
metadata
and
so
forth
and
so
on
to
them
to
make
it
useful
to
be
bold.
C
B
A
What
an
amazing
story-
and
if
you
want
to
see
more
of
our
interview
with
Joan
mahalin
visit,
arlington
VA
TV,
you
can
also
listen
to
her
oral
history
at
arlington.
Central
library,
well
download
the
transcript
from
the
website,
and
if
you
have
old,
arlington,
county
photos
or
other
historic
materials,
please
contact
the
Center
for
local
history.
Judy
and
her
staff
would
love
to
take
a
look
at
them.