Toni Vanden Bos named head of Wright State’s Special Collections and Archives

Toni Vanden Bos

Toni Vanden Bos has been appointed the head of Special Collections and Archives in the Wright State University Libraries.

“It is a privilege to take on this role in Special Collections and Archives leading an experienced, creative, collaborative and dedicated staff brimming with ideas to increase our interaction with campus and incorporate the archives’ wealth of historic resources into the Wright State University experience,” Vanden Bos said. “Together, we are dedicated to supporting the university’s mission of educational excellence, and there are changes afoot that will help us do that as part of the University Libraries’ initiative to re-imagine the library.”

Vanden Bos joined Wright State’s University Libraries and its Special Collections and Archives in 2003 as an archivist. She had served as the cataloging and preservation manager since 2010 before being appointed head of the archives.

Before joining Wright State Vanden Bos served as a public records archivist at the Wisconsin Historical Society and assistant archivist at the University of Texas-San Antonio.

Located on the fourth floor of Dunbar Library, Special Collections and Archives is home to Wright State’s world-renowned “Wright Brothers Collection” the most complete collection of archival Wright material in the world. The archives is also home to hundreds of unique historical collections documenting early aviation and local and regional history of Dayton and the Miami Valley, and Wright State University’s history.

Special Collections and Archives plans to renovate its facilities to improve the preservation of its collections and make its space more functional and inviting. The project is supported by a $75,000 grant from the National Aviation Heritage Alliance and additional funds from the Wright State Friends of the Libraries Foundation.

“The updated space will help us increase our engagement with the campus and local community through more events and innovative programming, which is a large focus in our planning,” Vanden Bos said.

The archives will also add to CORE Scholar, Wright State’s online institutional scholarly repository, to support faculty research and provide wider access to high-demand content.

While visitors and researchers from across the country and around the world come to Wright State to access the archives’ collections, Vanden Bos encouraged more Wright State community members to check out Special Collections and Archives, which she called “one of the most unique resources and experiences at Wright State.”

Vanden Bos earned her Master of Arts in Library and Information Studies, Archives Specialization, from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and her bachelor’s degree in history from Gustavus Adolphus College. She also received a Digital Archives Specialist Certification from the Society of American Archivists.