For more than four decades, Brock\u2019s alumni magazine has helped former students stay connected to their University.<\/p>\n
Though it has gone through name changes and many redesigns, the publication \u2014 known by the title Surgite<\/em> for more than 30 years \u2014 has consistently given readers a window into what\u2019s happening on campus and in the Brock community.<\/p>\n To ensure the history contained within the magazine\u2019s pages is never lost, every issue dating back to 1977 was recently preserved in digital perpetuity by the University\u2019s Special Collections library.<\/p>\n \u201cThese printed materials become the institutional memory of the University,\u201d said David Sharron, Brock\u2019s Head of Archives and Special Collections. \u201cPreserving and providing improved access to these alumni magazines helps us celebrate Brock\u2019s history and the successes of our many graduates. The Archives and Library are thrilled to partner with Alumni Relations to get these online.\u201d<\/p>\n There are now 110 issues of the alumni magazine \u2014 known as Brock<\/em> from 1977-84, and Surgite<\/em> from 1985 to present \u2014 available through Brock\u2019s Digital Repository. The entire collection is searchable by keywords, making the hunt for specific references much easier than in the past when readers would have to dig through piles of hard copies.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is a tremendous milestone that brings the University closer to its alumni community, across the country and around the world,\u201d said Kevin Cavanagh, interim Executive Director of Marketing & Communications. \u201cNot only is our heritage being preserved, but it is accessible, giving people a sense of shared ownership of the history of Brock University.\u201d<\/p>\n The time-consuming task of scanning each page was taken on by Digital Research Assistant Shauna Ribaric, who also recently finished making electronic copies of all of Brock\u2019s viewbooks \u2014 a key recruitment tool that aims to showcase all aspects of the University experience.<\/p>\n