Wright State has asked the committee for $2.2 million in funding over the next year, according to the school’s application. The committee will sort through to make a prioritized list of what to ask for in D.C.
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The archives project calls for the renovation of 30,000 square feet of space at the former Wright-Patt Credit Union at 2455 Presidential Drive and the relocation of Wright State’s Special Collections and Archives. The new space would offer more appropriate environmental conditions including temperature, humidity, light, air quality and fire protection and suppression for the historical artifacts, according to the school’s application.
Wright State’s archives contains the largest Wright Brothers Collection in the world, first-edition works by Dayton poet Paul Laurence Dunbar and the archives of the Dayton Daily News among other historic archives, according to WSU.
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The proposed archives center will include the following amenities, according to the university:
• A reading room where students, scholars and visitors may examine historic materials in an up-close and personal way.
• An exhibit gallery housing rotating exhibitions that highlight the depth and breadth of Wright State’s collections.
• A conference room for lectures, meetings and special events.
• A classroom to welcome area school children and students from Wright State’s public history graduate program.
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• An oral history recording and teaching lab where students, faculty, researchers and the community can record their stories.
• A media lab for listening and viewing oral histories and watching original film footage.
• A preservation lab, processing room, clean room and exhibit prep room that will give staff the tools and space they need to adequately care for the history of the Dayton region.
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