Minnesota Veterinary Historical Museum

books in the MVHM collectionLast night I attended the board meeting for the Minnesota Veterinary Historical Museum. The museum is located on the St. Paul campus of the University of Minnesota and contains a range of materials from books, to surgical instruments, to giant petrified hairballs.

It was an opportunity for me to discuss the archives project and connect with the board members, many of whom are former faculty of the College of Veterinary Medicine. They invited me to attend future meetings and I offered a tour of the archives in return. Notable board members include Dr. Walter Mackey, a member of the first entering class of 1947, and Dr. Bee Hanlon, one of the first two women to enter the program in 1948. Both later became faculty members at the College.

Ideally, this connection will allow the MVHM and the archives project to help each other. If I locate materials more suited for a museum collection, I will be able to pass them along. In the same manner, I can help them better identify material that is appropriate for the archives to manage and arrange for acquisition or transfer.