The University of North Texas Libraries have achieved a significant accolade in the realm of historical preservation. The Texas Historical Commission awarded the UNT’s Portal to Texas History with the prestigious Governor’s Award for Historic Preservation during the 2025 Real Places Conference held in Austin, Texas.
The Governor’s Award for Historic Preservation is highly regarded in Texas, recognizing exemplary achievements in the field. This year, the Portal to Texas History was distinguished along with another recipient, underscoring its exceptional contribution to preserving Texas’s rich history.
The Portal to Texas History, founded in 2004 by Associate Dean of Libraries Emeritus Cathy Nelson Hartman, serves as a comprehensive digital repository housing historical documents and artifacts sourced from libraries, museums, archives, and private collectors. It has notable resources, including the Texas Digital Newspaper Program, allowing public access to digitized Texas newspapers. The Portal’s impact is reflected in its statistics, having surpassed 100 million unique visits by 2021 and celebrated its two-millionth item addition in 2024.
Dreanna Belden, director of external partnerships for UNT Libraries, expressed pride in receiving the award, stating the commission’s recognition highlights over two decades of dedication. The Portal’s success is partly due to its partnership with the Texas Historical Commission, facilitating access to digitized artifacts and supporting projects like Texas History for Teachers, a curriculum guide aiding middle school educators.
The UNT Libraries’ team, including Hartman, Belden, Interim University Librarian and Vice Provost Sian Brannon, librarians Jake Mangum, and Ana Krahmer, attended the awards banquet. Jake Mangum and Ana Krahmer, director of the UNT Digital Newspaper Unit, also presented collaboration strategies involving the portal during the conference. Krahmer emphasized the honor as a testament to collective efforts in forming foundational partnerships that have significantly advanced the repository’s mission.
This achievement not only celebrates UNT Libraries’ dedication to historical preservation but also marks a milestone in enhancing educational resources and scholarly access to Texas’s historical narratives.