Project HOLD

In 1986, the College Station City Council instituted the Historic Preservation Committee to aid in the collection and preservation of the history of College Station and its environs and to provide for the education of citizens on our history. As a way of preserving local history through Project HOLD — or Historic Online Library Database — historical documents are brought in by citizens and scanned into an online database that is accessible to the general public.

Volunteer | Project HOLD Archives | Contact Us

Volunteers

Project HOLD offers a wonderful opportunity for you and your family to participate in our efforts to preserve our rich local heritage. We will train you! No matter your age or area of expertise, we can use your help in many ways:

Document Scanning	Oral History Interviews	Interview Transcription
Exhibit Preparation	Community Research	Writing Mini-Biographies
General Office Help

Project HOLD Archives

Cowboys herding Cows Content within these archives is copyright-free for use by the public. If content is to be published or displayed outside of this database, please attribute to City of College Station Project HOLD.

We encourage citizens to become involved in historic preservation so that together we may promote an appreciation of our heritage, culture, future and past.

To make an appointment, scan documents or photographs, volunteer, or learn more about Project HOLD, call 979.764.3491 or email [email protected].

View Archives

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The Project HOLD Archives are organized through a series of folders. These instructions will help you navigate them:

A search bar at the top will allow you to search for keywords or titles of files. If you know the exact title of the file, searching for it will bring you directly to the record. If you do not know the exact title, entering keywords will result in a list of potential matches.
If you would like to further refine your search, there is an “Advanced” option to the right of the search bar. The “Customize Search” drop down menu on the left has a list of fields that you can select from to add additional parameters and search within selected areas of the files.
Browse our collection by clicking on a folder to open it. This will display any files or subfolders that it contains. A chain below the search bar lists the location of the file you are currently in. You can navigate back to larger folders or the main Project HOLD folder by clicking on their title.
Clicking on a file will open that record with a thumbnail preview, scan of the document, metadata, and any available annotations. The thumbnails on the left can be scrolled through to preview the entire document at a glance. Scanned images are at the center, which can be zoomed, rotated, or saved using the options on the toolbar above. Clicking on a thumbnail will automatically scroll the document to the selected page. The metadata on the right includes information about that document, such as file name, date, donor, etc. Some records include annotations, which are marked by a yellow note icon over the document images and can be accessed through the tab to the right of the metadata tab.
If a document has trouble loading the scanned image, adjusting the zoom can help find a more compatible resolutionfor viewing on your device. This often presents as white or blank blocks on the document, which are resolved by zooming out or changing view to “fit height”.
To download or print a document, click on either the download or printer icon in the toolbar above the scanned images. Documents may have either or both icons, and either can be used to create a pdf file for use. When the printer icon is selected, an additional window opens that allows you to choose which pages you would like.
Documents can also be viewed as plain text if that is preferred. This can be selected by the “View plain text” option on the toolbar above the images. You will still be able to scroll through the document, but each image or page will have simplified text at the top. This option is generated by the technology that we use and not reviewed by staff, so some errors may be present. Selecting “View images” will revert to the scanned images.

Project HOLD continues to grow and add material. To keep up with new records and make improvements, it is subject to change and reorganization.

If you have any questions, please reach out to the City of College Station Historical Records Archives by calling 979-764-3491 or emailing [email protected].