Published on October 21, 2026  
Special Collection receiving award

Samford University Library’s Special Collection and University Archives recently received the inaugural Outstanding Archives Award from the Society of Alabama Archivists (SALA), highlighting the impactful work happening on the first floor of Davis Library.

"This award is a tremendous honor for Samford University Library and a testament to the commitment of our archives team to preserve Alabama's rich history while making these collections accessible to students, scholars, and communities around the world,” said Kim Herndon, dean of Samford University Library.

The Outstanding Archives Award recognizes an archive, institution or organization that has made a significant long-term contribution to the profession and to the preservation of Alabama history. Samford’s Special Collection preserves and shares materials documenting Alabama’s history and culture, its Baptist heritage and the history of the university.

Jennifer Taylor, university archivist, was honored by the award, and said she and her team are trying to carry on a legacy of work started in the early 1950s. The nomination was written by history professor Jonathan Bass. Special Collection is joined by universities, museums, military installations and public institutions as fellow members of SALA.

“Given the exceptional work of archivists across Alabama, receiving the inaugural award is both an honor and a humbling experience,” Taylor said. “Supporting Alabama history is supporting Southern history. Which, in turn, supports national history, and we are happy to be playing a part.”

Among many notable pieces of history, Special Collection holds a sixteenth-century Geneva Bible, an original 1963 typescript of Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Letter from the Birmingham Jail,” and a collection of Charles Spurgeon’s original sermon manuscripts. Its holdings also include one of the state’s largest collections of Alabama newspapers and extensive materials documenting Alabama’s religious history.

The Samford community is impacted daily by the work done in Special Collection. From historical portraits displayed across campus to photos shared through social media and video, the archival work is a crucial piece in telling Samford’s story.

"We are grateful to the Society of Alabama Archivists for this recognition,” said Herndon. “As stewards of Samford's history and important resources documenting Alabama's heritage, we remain committed to preserving the past while expanding access to these collections for future generations."

 
Located in the Homewood suburb of Birmingham, Alabama, Samford is a leading Christian university offering undergraduate programs grounded in the liberal arts with an array of nationally recognized graduate and professional schools. Founded in 1841, Samford enrolls 6,522 students from 46 states, Puerto Rico and 12 countries in its 10 academic schools: arts, arts and sciences, business, divinity, education, health professions, law, nursing, pharmacy and public health. Ranked among U.S. News & World Report’s 35 Most Beautiful College Campuses, Samford fields 17 athletic teams that compete in the tradition-rich Southern Conference and boasts one of the highest scores in the nation for its 97% Graduation Success Rate among all NCAA Division I schools.