Tinley Park student archives the past using modern technology

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Tom Sharwarko preserves local history.

ROMEOVILLE, IL (06/11/2013)(readMedia)--  World War II letters, a wagon wheel and family photographs are among the items that Tom Sharwarko of Tinley Park made available to the general public as an intern in the Howard and Lois Adelmann Regional History Collection, located in the Lewis University Library. During his Fall 2012 and Spring 2013 internship, he worked with the James Walter Milne papers and artifacts, which were donated by Flora Milne to Lewis University. The collection consisted of papers and artifacts from mid-19th century to present day.

"I learned organizational skills that can be applied universally to any position after graduation," Sharwarko, a 2013 history graduate, summarized. He processed the collection of photographs so that the public can view them on Lewis University's website. He categorized the scattered, unorganized documents and grouped the papers. He placed the documents into acid free folders and boxes for preservation. He also photographed each of the objects. He created a finding aid describing what was in each particular box and folder. His work concluded with an overall description of the collection and a brief history.

"Tom really developed through this internship," Dennis H. Cremin said. Sharwarko earned course credit under the direction of Eileen McMahon, associate professor of history. He also worked closely with the Lewis University Library staff, especially Robert Pruter.

History degree students at Lewis University study historically significant events, ideas, persons and civilizations. They are prepared to analyze modern-day economic, social and political happenings with deeper clarity and wisdom. Lewis University's modern and global curriculum help set the stage for students to graduate with an intelligent interdisciplinary background in what they believe, why they believe it, and the research and communication skills necessary to make a difference.

Lewis University is a Catholic university in the Lasallian tradition offering distinctive undergraduate and graduate programs to more than 6,500 traditional and adult students. Lewis offers multiple campus locations, online degree programs, and a variety of formats that provide accessibility and convenience to a growing student population. Sponsored by the De La Salle Christian Brothers, Lewis prepares intellectually engaged, ethically grounded, globally connected, and socially responsible graduates. The seventh largest private not-for-profit university in Illinois, Lewis has been nationally recognized by The Princeton Review and U.S. News & World Report. Visit http://www.lewisu.edu for further information.