A Muncie-based nonprofit that focuses on sharing first-person stories about local issues now has a new home on Ball State’s campus.
The Facing Project was started in 2012 by Kelsey Timmerman and Ball State alum J.R. Jamison. They were approached by the Archives and Special Collections department in Bracken Library about archiving over 1,500 different Facing Project stories that come from 75 communities and 18 states.
"Ball State's such a part of Muncie, and really The Facing Project was created by Muncie," Timmerman said.
Sarah Allison, Head of Archives and User Engagement at Bracken Library, said her department’s goal is to collect, preserve and provide access to the history of Muncie and Delaware County.
"This project starting here and then growing, it's significantly important for us to have it in the archives and we're very honored to have it,” Allison said. “Building a working relationship with J.R. and Kelsey is very important too."
Jamison said the feeling of having the stories archived at his alma mater is amazing.
“To know that something we’ve helped produce and create is housed there is a really good feeling. I think about the other items that have been archived by Ball State- the Lynd study on Middletown, even David Letterman … it almost feels like we’re not worthy to have our work on display, but at the same time, it’s such a good feeling to know that the university has valued what we’ve helped contribute and that they want to keep it there for generations to come,” Jamison said.
