“A Long Way from Moscow”: A Collaborative Project between Archivists, Librarians, and Historians from the Steppes of Saratov Province and the High Plains of Colorado

Abstract

This article describes the authors interactions with Russian archivists, librarians, and historians during a 2008 delegation visit to Saratov Province, the state of archival holdings and special collections in the Saratov area, and preliminary discussions regarding proposed collaborative digitization and academic research projects. A reciprocal visit by Russian and Ukrainian colleagues the following year to participate in the Inaugural Conference on German-Russian Studies is also detailed. The authors, both members of the Joint Academic Board for the International Center for German-Russian Studies at Colorado State University, discuss outreach strategies and lessons learned regarding a wide-ranging collaborative international project with information professionals and academics in a region previously closed to the West. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]