https://caspercollege.cvlcollections.org/files/original/3b04143a29d6e52e2e884c4b13f9c58c.pdf e655ce9d1731ec4a6c4e77033d841f85 PDF Text Text 1 Casper College Goodstein Foundation Library Western History Center Community Impact Statement: Services for Lifelong Learning January 2026 Version The Western History Center’s (WHC) Community Impact Statement serves to illustrate how its defined components can transform its day-to-day reading room library tasks into strategic "public services." By articulating these specific components and their associated activities, the WHC aims show that every action it performs—even shelving and finding uncatalogued gems—is a contribution to the intellectual wealth of Natrona County and its historical stakeholders near and far. Strategic Value for the Western History Center in Service to Casper College These services represent the "Operationalization" of our mission. When a volunteer pulls a book from the back, shelves it, and later helps a student scan a section for a project, they are completing a Full-Circle Service Model. Community Impact Statement: Services for Lifelong Learning The Western History Center as a Living Laboratory The Western History Center (WHC) facilitates a robust "Lifelong Learning" ecosystem by providing high-touch, specialized services that bridge the gap between historical records and public discovery. These services are the engines that power our community engagement mission. Lifelong Learning Outcomes Activity Lifelong Learning Outcome Browsing/Reading Deepened local historical context and civic pride. Shelving/Maintenance Training in professional library standards and stewardship. Backroom Discovery Immediate expansion of the college's public-facing assets. Scanning/Tech Support Transfer of digital preservation skills to the community. Casper College Goodstein Foundation Library Western History Center 125 College Drive, Casper, WY 82601 �2 3 Lifelong Learning Pillars 1. The Intergenerational Classroom • Facilitate "associational learning" whereby community members may work side-byside and support certain student needs such as locating and scanning books from the special collections library as well as contribute to the daily needs of a functioning special collection library. 2. Barriers to Entry: Lowered Lifelong learning requires frictionless access. • Action: The WHC Library Card and the Persona Project remove the "intimidation factor" of the archives, turning a closed-stack repository into an open-ended community and student resource. 3. An Active Volunteer-Stewardship Cycle Learning is most effective when it is active. • Action: Volunteers aren't just "helping"; they are undergoing continuous training themselves and training others in a level the self-discovery that can happen in a public-facing special collections library whose books are mostly uncatalogued. Four Levels of Low Barrier but Impactful Service for Volunteers 1. Curated Browsing & Reading Services • The Service: Provide a dedicated, supervised space for community members to volunteer and engage deeply with non-circulating regional history in a low-stakes environment. • The Impact: Move beyond a "warehouse" model to a "reading room" model, where the archive becomes a site for self-directed research. This supports intellectual curiosity and provides a professional environment for the "Legacy Keeper" and "Local Sleuth" personas roles of users community volunteers. 2. Collaborative Stewardship (Shelving & Maintenance) • The Service: Engage community volunteers in the physical organization and maintenance of the Western History Center’s primary and secondary source collections—published books and directories. Casper College Goodstein Foundation Library Western History Center 125 College Drive, Casper, WY 82601 �3 • The Impact: Contributing to more than shelving logistics; volunteers perform and aid in the discoverability of materials in a low stakes research environment. By maintaining an orderly and accessible library, we ensure that the "next learner" can find what they need without barriers, fostering a culture of mutual respect for shared resources. 3. Archival Recovery (The "Backroom-to-Shelf" Initiative) • The Service: The systematic identification, triage, and processing of currently "hidden" uncataloged books from the vault to our public shelving. • The Impact: This service directly combats the "invisibility" of history. By pulling these resources from the back and integrating them into the searchable collection, we are performing reparative discoverability, ensuring that unique Wyoming histories and narratives are no longer lost to the backlog. 4. Technical Mentorship (Scanning & Digital Access) • The Service: On-site instruction and assistance for community patrons and students using specialized archival scanners to digitize the non-closed storage published materials for academic, personal, co-curricular, or vocational projects. • The Impact: This service promotes Information Literacy and Technological Equity for lifelong learning. We don't just provide the tools; we provide the knowledge to use them. This empowers community members to help each other preserve their history alongside dedicated staff. Casper College Goodstein Foundation Library Western History Center 125 College Drive, Casper, WY 82601 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Casper College Western History Center Learning Resources Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="https://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC-EDU/1.0/">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC-EDU/1.0/</a> Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 2025-09-25 Description An account of the resource This digital collection contains the copies of the Casper College Goodstein Foundation Library Western History Center's exhibit development processes. These processes are adapted from those of the Smithsoneans. They are meant to improve the reach and impact of the exhibits the center does, which are usually a part of collaborations with other units at Casper College. Some of these collaborations have included the Humanities Festival, GLAM, and the Bruce Richards Lecture Series. The center is also working on an expended curation and arrangement and description project in the effort of highlighting connections between college life and Wyoming culture. Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Casper College Goodstein Foundation Library Western History Center learning resource contributors include Hanz Olson. Language A language of the resource Text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context CCA 04.ii..h.i.2025.01 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Relation A related resource <a href="https://caspercollege.cvlcollections.org/exhibits/show/western-history--anchored-coll">Western History Center "Anchored Collection Series"</a> Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Western History Center Community Impact Statement: Services for Lifelong Learning Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="https://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC-EDU/1.0/">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC-EDU/1.0/</a> Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 2026-01-25 Description An account of the resource This learning resource illustrates the services that the Casper College Goodstein Foundation Library Western History Center provides via a Community Impact Statement. It seeks to outline the Western History Center's commitment to lifelong learning. By fostering a synergy between student research and community involvement, the center seeks to transform its special collections of published sources into an open, accessible 'Living Laboratory' for all of Natrona County. This document centers on making the center's unique regional history discoverable through curated browsing, collaborative stewardship, and technical mentorship. Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Hanz Olson Language A language of the resource ENG Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF