Carl Redd, special projects archivist in Special Collections and Archives, received the Outstanding Library Support Staff Award from the South Carolina Library Association (SCLA).
The award recognizes a library support staff member for excellent performance in their field of expertise, demonstration of leadership, innovation in customer service or technical service, development of new programs or services, or advocacy initiatives.
Redd was recognized, in part, for his role as archives specialist on the Black Heritage Trail Project, which was funded by a $3.4 million grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Led by Rhondda Thomas, the Calhoun Lemon Professor of Literature at Clemson, the project will feature walking trails that connect heritage sites in Seneca and Clemson with interactive signs, artwork and digital content that share the stories of local Black history.
“We cannot underestimate the impact of Carl’s work on the Black Heritage Trail project,” said Nick Richbell, head of Special Collections and Archives. “It is thanks to Carl’s determination to succeed that he was able to locate a recording of Black laundry workers singing at the dedication of the Dillard Building in the 1950s on Clemson’s campus. Dr. Thomas and her team were thrilled at this discovery.”
“Carl is always willing to take on new projects and duties in the best interests of researchers and the institution, and he always excels in what he pursues,” said Ariel Turner, associate dean for collections and discovery for Clemson Libraries. “He is a talented and motivated individual, and I am excited to witness his future contributions to South Carolina libraries and heritage institutions.”
Redd has served in Special Collections and Archives since 2003. He identifies, analyzes and indexes historical documents and arranges and processes archival collections, including writing collection descriptions for finding aids to help make items in the archives discoverable by users. He also assists researchers by answer reference questions and helping them locate materials in the collections, and he supervises the student assistants who work in Special Collections and Archives.
He graduated from Lander University in 2001.