Help Digitize Primghar High School Artifacts

ATTENTION: PRIMGHAR HIGH SCHOOL ALUMNI & THEIR FAMILIES,

AND CURRENT PRIMGHAR RESIDENTS

WHY HAS THIS PROJECT BEEN UNDERTAKEN?

The Primghar Community School was an essential part of the town's history, and, as alumni of PHS, we are concerned that historical artifacts related to the school be preserved appropriately. By digitizing (creating electronic copies), we can ensure that these artifacts are not lost to deterioration from age, improper storage, or damage resulting from storms and other natural disasters. Another goal is to make these particular items available for viewing on the Internet. We are asking you all to help us with this project, by donating the money necessary to accomplish the preservation efforts.

BACKGROUND:

The Primghar Public Library and the City of Primghar currently house artifacts removed from the Primghar High School, sometime after the school was consolidated into South O'Brien. The City assumed responsibility for all of the PHS trophies, plaques and awards, formerly housed in display cases in the High School, and all the composite class photos displayed in the hallways. All class yearbooks formerly in the custody of the school library were transferred to the Primghar Public Library, where they have been housed ever since.

As you might understand, the City is not in the business of storing things like boxes of trophies and several dozen framed composite photographs. A decision was made several years ago, to display the composite photos in the Community Building. Award memorabilia was ultimately transferred to alumni gathered at an All-School Reunion held during the Quasqui-Centennial.

Recent Developments

Early in 2022, a decision was made to remove the composite photographs at the Community Building from their frames, and place most if not all of them into some sort of carousel display, located in the City Office.

The purpose of framing, glass and matting is not only to provide a means to display the photographs, but also to protect them. Any adhesives used in the process of mounting or framing dry out with age, as you may have experienced with old family scrapbooks. Any bumps or jarring could cause photos to be separated, or other damage to occur. On the bright side, having the composite class photos removed from their frames provides an opportunity to more easily take steps to preserve them, by creating digital copies.

HOW THE PROJECT WILL PROVIDE SOLUTIONS:

Yearbooks:

The yearbooks passed on to the Primghar Library essentially cover the years between 1950 and 1989 (only one year was missing, and a copy has been borrowed so that it can be digitized). Once funds are raised, a company specializing in scanning this kind of document will digitize the entire collection. Digitized copies will be provided and stored electronically at the Library and also at an offsite location.

The company will also provide what is called a "flipbook" version of each yearbook. You can see a sample of the digitized "Bulldog 1971" flipbook by clicking the following link:

https://bookcase.yearbookscanning.com/bookcase/wdmry

Once you see an image of a bookshelf, just click on the cover of the 1971 yearbook. You can easily move from page to page by clicking just outside the left or right edges of the pages displayed. There also is a tool that you can use to enlarge the images for easier viewing.

Plans for additional yearbook scanning:

This fundraising will also provide some money to be held in reserve by the Library, for future scanning of earlier PHS yearbooks, as they become available. It is hoped that arrangements can be made to borrow these additional artifacts from former students or their families. If you or anyone in your family own any pre-1950 yearbooks, PLEASE consider providing them for digitization, and contact the Library. Any borrowed yearbooks will be returned to their owners, unless that person wishes to donate them to the Library and add them to its collection.

Composite Class photographs:

The composite photos will be addressed by hiring a professional photographer, who will use a high-resolution digital camera, in a studio environment, to create digital images. Once this is accomplished, making those digital images available online will be relatively simple.

One other detail that deserves mention - we have found that it is not unusual for people to own a copy of a composite photo personally. If you have such a composite from a graduating class of Primghar High School, regardless of what year it is, please let us know that you have it, and we will then consider digitizing it. That may or may not yield better results than photographing one of the previously framed versions.

Other Miscellaneous:

One other thing came to mind while investigating the digitization of the yearbook and composite photo arrays: many former students might have other historical artifacts related to PHS, such as class pictures, snapshots, newspaper clippings, and picture postcards. While we cannot address these items at this time, they certainly should be considered for digitization in the future, as well as how to develop a system to catalog and store them appropriately.

A small committee of PHS alumni, including myself - Allen Bonderman (Class of 1971); Eugene Strand (Class of 1962); and Dee VanderPol (Class of 1972), has been formed. We will assist the Primghar Library in fundraising efforts, arranging for digitization and online access services, and identifying and providing volunteer labor as needed.

MORE DETAILS ABOUT THE FUNDRAISING:

Why use GoFundMe?

GoFundMe is being used because it provides a safe, modern technology for soliciting, receiving and transferring funds. Donors can simply click their choices, fill in the donation amount, and then use one of several electronic payment options. These options include major credit cards, debit cards, PayPal and ApplePay, completed using a secure environment. GoFundMe does deduct a small processing fee from the donation, to cover costs charged by the payment system providers.

How do the cash donations make their way to the Primghar Library to pay for project expenses?

We made a good faith effort to have all proceeds from GoFundMe transferred directly to the Library's account held by the City of Primghar. Ultimately, we were informed that the State Auditor of Iowa had instructed cities not to provide bank account information (needed to make such transfers) in situations such as this.

We felt it important to make donating as simple and easy as possible, and decided that GoFundMe is still the best way to do that. The net proceeds from all donations will be forwarded to the City/Library fund by check, from an account held by Allen Bonderman. Detailed records of cash received from GoFundme and distributed, as well as supporting documentation, will be provided to the City and Library as an audit trail.

Tax deductibility of Donations:

Because this GoFundMe project was set up as a "personal" fundraiser (due to the City's/Library's inability to receive transfers, etc.), donors should be aware of the following guidance provided by GoFundMe:

Donations made to a personal GoFundMe fundraiser, rather than a charity fundraiser, are generally considered to be personal gifts and are NOT guaranteed to be tax-deductible. You can always check with a tax professional to be sure.

The Project Budget:

The following details the budget for the digital preservation and online accessibility efforts:

a.) Scanning of yearbooks currently in hand, and digital photography

of class composites: $ 3,000

b.) Cash set aside for additional future yearbook scanning: $ 1,000

c.) Provisioning for online access to both yearbooks and class

photographs; data storage; website modifications; fundraising

& misc. costs: $ 3,500

TOTAL BUDGET: $ 7,500

The Library Board will be asked to consider reserving any money raised but not spent, to cover costs for the future preservation of additional PHS artifacts.

QUESTIONS? COMMENTS?

Any questions or comments can be directed to me as the organizer of this GoFundMe fundraiser, by clicking the Contact button in the Organizer section just below this narrative. I encourage you to contact me with any questions you might have.

Please note that, although born and raised in Primghar, I do not reside there, as implied on the GoFundMe page. That information cannot be edited.

Allen Bonderman