Recently the Auburn University Libraries decided to digitize over one hundred years of Auburn tradition by making the Glomerata open to online, public access.
As of now, yearbooks as old as 1897 are available for viewing, and those from that year through 2003 are also available. More recent Gloms are scheduled to be posted in the future.
This new feature of the AU digital library was even considered important enough to be mentioned at this week's City Council meeting.
Fantastic! That's certainly a great idea and service to provide, but we did have one small concern... What about The Auburn Plainsman?
No disrespect to the Glomerata, but we feel that if each year's annual is going to be posted online then The Auburn Plainsman should also receive the digital transformation.
While posting every page of every edition of The Plainsman since its 1893 debut would probably be overkill, we think posting the front pages of each edition would provide a sufficient glimpse into what Auburn University has witnessed over the last century and counting.
The chance to recall those significant moments in history through the scope of their time at Auburn seems like an appealing service to alumni and would be a privilege we would love to have many years past our own time at Auburn.
Imagine an alumni being able to peruse that front of The Plainsman that covered the JFK assassination while they attended Auburn.
Or those with updates on the Vietnam War. Or the tragedy of the Challenger space shuttle in the 80's.
Heck, imagine the hits the front would get featuring the write-up of the epic "Punt Bama, Punt" Iron Bowl.
And years down the road, imagine we current Auburn students being able to re-read the front page documenting the historic election of President Barack Obama.
And if not for sentiment, then the addition of The Plainsman to the digital archives would serve to widely showcase the tremendous work and dedication of many generations of the Auburn family.
23 Pacemaker awards make The Auburn Plainsman the second-most decorated student publication, and this kind of acknowledgement of excellence is something that should be shown off in the archives.
It's great that the Glom will forever be kept in the digital archives, but we think doing the same with The Plainsman would be a service much appreciated by the alumni and one that is well-deserved by ourselves and the work of the many staffs that have come before us.
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