Donating Materials and Volunteer Research  
 
 
 
     
Preservation  
     
 
Storing transportation information in a digital archive and sharing this material through the archive is only one half of the importance of an archive such as the TTA. Acquiring new material to share, is the crucial other half. 

Preservation and access of historic materials is our primary mission. We want to make TTA an archive where a volunteer base of users can assist in this preservation process. Thus, the Texas Transportation Archive will always be pleased to receive any relevant contributions of transportation-related photographs or written manuscript material. Whenever necessary, we can copy photographs and manuscripts and return all originals to their owners.

Contributions from larger collections or the privilege of using scanned images from larger collections may receive appropriate tax deductions. Collections donated directly to the archive will be preserved in digital format and archived using appropriate archival techniques. Individuals or families donating relevant materials to the TTA, will also receive digitized files of the material in either CD or DVD format that can be used as a back up for the donated materials. 
  
     
 
 
 
     
Volunteer Research  
     
 

We are always in need for researchers in local communities throughout the state who can contribute their time and effort to do volunteer research. There are significant sources of important transportation information in such places as courthouses and other public offices, and among the people of the communities that the old transportation routes served.

Such efforts as interviewing local residents, viewing records at the county seat, looking through newspaper microfilm, etc, can yield significat information and greatly enhance the sort of information we publish both online and in print. Even a simple check of resources at the local library is helpful.

We invite all like-minded researchers who have quality information, or have access to primary materials and are willing to research it, please contact us.

Once we receive material, it will be processed in an appropriate manner so that it may be added to the TTA web site for free access to all researchers. The material will be maintained on the website and in various TTA publications in a collection bearing your name, or the name you designate. Anything you contribute will be cited as part of the “[Your Name] Collection.”

The extensive research we have done has just scratched the surface. There remains “out there” more than we could do in many lifetimes of research. We hope you will consider making a contribution of your time toward researching in your local community, and allow us to put your efforts in a form from which many can benefit, and for generations to come.

Lester Haines
Murry Hammond
Texas Transportation Archive

 
     
     
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