The purpose of this project is to use the special collection material on E.A. Sheldon which includes his autobiography and create a digital collection out of the material. There is an interest in this material to the college community and as a historical record. The material in this collection will be more assessable in a digital form using the Internet. Our mission will be to create a site of the most useful material that we found in Sheldon’s autobiography and provide those materials to the campus community.

According to the library staff there is an interest in Sheldon’s life and work by researchers. We hope that this project will expand the available information about Sheldon and allow for better and broader research into Sheldon’s life. The autobiography of Sheldon is one of the best historical records available about Sheldon and would be of great interest to researchers.

Digital Library Table of Contents:

• Chapter XIII: The Ragged School -- Includes a letter from Sheldon to his sister, information about the creation of the Oswego school, Sheldon's pay rate, and extracts from Sheldon's diary.

• Chapter XXV: An Educational Symposium -- Includes some correspondences from the board of education (From December of 1861), and some letters that Sheldon wrote.

• Chapter XXVI: Recognition as a State Institution and Acquirement of a new Building -- Talks about a new building and recognition as a State institution.

• Chapter XXX: Activities of Dr. Sheldon's Last Years -- Includes some letters that Sheldon wrote in his last years, and extracts from Sheldon's diary.

• Chapter XXXII: Family Life -- Talks about Sheldon's home and his family. Also talks about Shady Shore. Includes some letters that Sheldon wrote.