Welcome to the ECU Community Archives Lab (ECAL)
ECAL Land Acknowledgement
We acknowledge the Tuscarora people, who are the traditional custodians of the land of
Eastern North Carolina, on which we work and live, and recognize their continuing
connection to the land, water, and air that Greenville consumes. We pay respect to
the eight state-recognized tribes of North Carolina; Coharie, Eastern Band of Cherokee,
Haliwa-Saponi, Lumbee, Meherrin, Occaneechi Band of Saponi, Sappony, and
Waccamaw-Siouan, all Nations, and their elders past, present, and emerging.
We also pay homage to the enslaved African ancestors, whose lives and labor are
embedded in this land, and their descendants who are evidence of their survival:
we recognize that their legacy continues in the communities that remain in Eastern
North Carolina today.
Photo credit: Vanessa Irvin, March 2023
ECAL Mission and Vision
The East Carolina University Community Archives Lab (ECAL) is a unit of the Master of Library Science Program at ECU, located at 128-130 Ragsdale Hall, 1000 E. 5th Street, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina. Operational hours are Tuesdays-Thursdays, 10:00 am to 3:00 pm Eastern Time.
ECAL Mission
The ECAL advances inclusive, participatory archival practice by connecting students and community partners in the preservation, interpretation, and sustained care of North Carolina’s cultural heritage.
ECAL Vision
The ECAL envisions being a key service provider to support community archives throughout North Carolina, where heritage-based archival resources are sustainably supported, ethically stewarded, and fully integrated into educational, cultural, and public knowledge systems.
ECAL Strategic Plan 2024-2027
The ECAL is designed to strengthen community archives across North Carolina (particularly in rural contexts) by integrating graduate archival education, community-based archival services, and sustained partnership development. An initiative of the East Carolina University Master of Library Science (MLS) Program, the ECAL functions as a physical laboratory, gathering space, and intellectual hub for cultural heritage informatics.
The ECAL provides infrastructure and mentorship to support community archives, particularly those in rural, under-resourced, or historically marginalized communities, while offering ECU graduate students paid (when available), hands-on, experiential learning opportunities that connect archival theory to professional practice. By embedding community-engaged archival work into the MLS curriculum, the ECAL fosters professional preparation that is responsive to regional needs and grounded in public service in support of East Carolina University’s motto, Servire – “To Serve.”
The purpose of the ECAL centers on three interconnected goals:
- GOAL 1. EDUCATION: Knowledge Creation and Dissemination
The ECAL generates new insights and models for participatory community archiving in Eastern North Carolina by elevating the visibility of community archives and ECU’s leadership in cultural heritage informatics via student internships, scholarship, and dissemination. - GOAL 2. COMMUNITY: Partnership and Engagement
The ECAL establishes and maintains mutually supportive relationships with local heritage sites and memory keepers in and across Eastern North Carolina. - GOAL 3. SERVICES: Infrastructure Development
The ECAL establishes and maintains infrastructure to support the lab’s operational effectiveness as an educational center and community hub for archival studies and information services. The operational infrastructure of the ECAL ensures that administrative processes, student engagement, and community partnerships function cohesively and align with the ECAL’s mission.
ECAL Updates
03.19.2026
ECU History student Caroline Johnson, began her FOCAS ECAL archives internship today with Mr. Wayne Peel, President of the Martin County Historical Society, which is located in the Asa Biggs House on Main Street in Williamston. Welcome Caroline!
03.17.2026
MLS student Sarah West, a FOCAS ECAL archives intern with the Caswell County Historical Association and the Caswell Council for the Arts in Yanceyville, was featured today in The Caswell Messenger. The article spotlights the meaningful work Ms. West is doing at the sites, located in the historic Graves-Poteat-Florance-Gatewood House in Yanceyville, North Carolina.
02.03.2026
Great News! The ECAL has been approved by the ECU College of Education to EXPAND into an additional space in Ragsdale Hall! The lab will now occupy two adjoining offices, Ragsdale 128 and Ragsdale 130. Ragsdale 128 will remain the archival lab space where preservation services will be operationalized. Ragsdale 130 will be for meetings, collaborations, and service intake activities. Congratulations ECAL!
12.03.2025
MLS student, Savannah Connolly, was a FOCAS ECAL archives intern with the Indian Education Resource Center of the Lumbee Tribe this Fall semester. She graduates this month! Dr. Connie Locklear, Indian Education Director, said:
“Thank you to East Carolina University Library Science Department for partnering with the Indian Education Resource Center. As a part of this partnership, we were blessed to have Savannah Connolly as a student intern. Today was Savannah’s last day at our office and we are so very thankful for the great work she has done. We will miss her but we know that ECU has equipped her to be a great Library Scientist. A special thank you to Dr. Vanessa Reyes and Dr. Vanessa Irvin for your vision, for writing the grant and for allowing Savannah to become part of our team, if for only a short time. Thank you Savannah for your attention to detail and your dedication to our office. Go get them girl!!“
09.10.2025
The grand opening celebration of the ECU Community Archives Lab (ECAL) was a huge success, featuring amazing speakers and over 50 attendees, including our community partners and library science students who are interning in community-based archives throughout the state. Click on the image below to view the video of the ceremony!
08.18.2025
Dr. Tyler Youngman joins Drs. Vanessas Irvin and Reyes of the FOCAS: ECAL team as a co-Principal Investigator. His role will include operational services with the ECAL and supervising the ECAL Graduate Assistant, Ms. Zoë Mitchell.
07.21.2025
Ms. Zoë Mitchell will be the Graduate Assistant for the ECAL, starting September 2, 2025. Welcome Zoë!
07.05.2025
ECAL’s furniture and supplies begin to arrive!
