Eric Jon Rawlins Collection, 1979-1997
Collection context
Summary
- Extent:
- 1 Hollinger Box
- 4136 Vinyl records
- Language:
- English
- Preferred citation:
Eric Jon Rawlins Collection, African American Research Library and Cultural Center, Broward County Library.
Background
- Scope and content:
The Eric Jon Rawlins Collection consists of personal and professional papers of librarian Eric Jon Rawlins. Materials include correspondence to and from Eric Jon Rawlins, certificates, his funeral program, newspaper clippings, personal and professional photographs of Eric Jon Rawlins, Broward County Library brochures, and bookmarks.
The correspondence contains letters to and from Eric Jon Rawlins during his professional career as a librarian at Broward County Library. Letters and memos document Eric's involvement in outreach projects and programs. He focused on health topics such as Breast Cancer Awareness and World AIDS Day. Other correspondence contains information on Eric Rawlins' funeral arrangements and obituary. Letters are arranged alphabetically by last name and chronologically within.
Personal Papers consists of materials regarding Eric Rawlins' life. Photographs display Eric Rawlins at Broward County Library events and his passing. The funeral program and newspaper clippings contain obituary information. Tributes to Eric from friends discuss his life and legacy. The series also includes certificates awarded to Eric Rawlins from Broward County Library's Maya Angelou and Spectrum programs. The series is organized alphabetically by title.
The Professional Papers series contains documents of Eric Rawlins during his career at Broward County Library. Papers include the Library-In-Action Project, a performance evaluation, library brochures, a list of his outreach projects, and a program calendar. The series is organized alphabetically by title.
- Biographical / historical:
Eric Jon Rawlins was born in Corona, Queens, New York City on December 12, 1951 to parents Gwendolyn and Dennis Rawlins. He had three sisters, Renee, Michele, and Andrea. Rawlins earned a bachelor's degree in Journalism from Hunter College in New York City. While attending college, he worked at Langston Hughes Library as the coordinator of Media Information and Referral Services. In 1978, he moved to Fort Lauderdale, Florida to join the Broward County Library's Library-In-Action Project which provided services to the African American community. Rawlins served as the branch manager of the Von D. Mizell Library from 1984 to 1988. From 1988 to 1992, he worked as the head of Traveling Libraries in the Outreach Services Department. Rawlins worked for a short time in the Marketing Department (1993-1994), then returned to the Outreach Services Department as the Main Library Program Coordinator and Division Exhibit Services Coordinator (1994-1996).
Eric Rawlins participated in community outreach in addition to his professional career. In the 1980s and early 1990s, he produced a television program for the NAACP entitled "Let's Face It". Eric was the second vice president of the NAACP Fort Lauderdale branch. He also wrote popular music reviews and was a newspaper columnist for the Westside Gazette. In Broward County, Florida, Rawlins served in organizations such as the Sistrunk Historical Festival, South Florida Black Journalists Association, and Lauderdale Manors Civic Association. He was the founding member and treasurer of the People of Color AIDS Coalition of Broward County.
Rawlins died on November 19, 1996 from a lung infection.
- Processing information:
This collection received file level processing. This finding aid may be updated to reflect new descriptions as well as acquisitions to the collection.
- Arrangement:
The collection is arranged into 5 series: Series I. Correspondence, Series II. Personal Papers, Series III. Professional Papers, Series IV. Bookmarks, and Series V. Album Collection.
- Rules or conventions:
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Access and use
- Restrictions:
The Eric Jon Rawlins Collection is open for research.
- Preferred citation:
Eric Jon Rawlins Collection, African American Research Library and Cultural Center, Broward County Library.
- Location of this collection:
-
African American Research Library and Cultural Center, Broward County Library2650 Sistrunk BoulevardFort LauderdaleFL33311USA
