Historic Houston High School Digitizes Yearbooks for Online Access

  • By Dian Schaffhauser
  • 01/06/14
Milby High School alumna Florence Waters holds a digitized version of the school's yearbook from 1936.
Milby High School Alumna Florence Waters holds a digitized version of the school's yearbook from 1936.

In order to keep up with the "constant" requests she receives every year for copies of old yearbooks, a high school librarian in Texas has been digitizing her school's collection going back to 1925 and making them available on the library Web site. Librarian Rowena Verdin at Charles H. Milby High School in Houston began the project in 2010, starting with two editions from each decade.

Currently, 13 of the volumes have been scanned and made into downloadable PDF files. The 1925 PDF file edition, for example, is about 53 megabytes.

When the library tweeted about its latest editions, Houston Independent School District staff member Valerie Schillaci found pictures of her grandmother, Florence Waters, on several pages of the 1936 edition. "I sent the link to all my aunts and uncles," said Schillaci, whose grandmother is in her 90s now. "It was so exciting. We all know her as Aunt Flo. We'd never heard of 'Flossie.'"

Besides helping alumni and their families track down images from the past, the library is using the books as a resource to instruct students about the history of their high school and to give them a window to student life in the past. "We digitize every page, from the front cover to the back, and that includes all the advertisements in between from back then," said Verdin. "The kids see ads for things like the Rice Hotel and ask if they still exist."

The process costs between $70 and $100 to convert each yearbook to a digital format. The library has received some funding from the school's alumni association, but it's also soliciting donations among visitors to continue the project and seeking yearbooks that are missing from its collection.

About the Author

Dian Schaffhauser is a former senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal, Campus Technology and Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  • The AI Show

    Register for Free to Attend the World's Greatest Show for All Things AI in EDU

    The AI Show @ ASU+GSV, held April 5–7, 2025, at the San Diego Convention Center, is a free event designed to help educators, students, and parents navigate AI's role in education. Featuring hands-on workshops, AI-powered networking, live demos from 125+ EdTech exhibitors, and keynote speakers like Colin Kaepernick and Stevie Van Zandt, the event offers practical insights into AI-driven teaching, learning, and career opportunities. Attendees will gain actionable strategies to integrate AI into classrooms while exploring innovations that promote equity, accessibility, and student success.

  • laptop displaying a red padlock icon sits on a wooden desk with a digital network interface background

    Reports Point to Domain Controllers as Prime Ransomware Targets

    A recent report from Microsoft reinforces warns of the critical role Active Directory (AD) domain controllers play in large-scale ransomware attacks, aligning with U.S. government advisories on the persistent threat of AD compromise.

  • laptop displaying a glowing digital brain and data charts sits on a metal shelf in a well-lit server room with organized network cables and active servers

    Cisco Unveils AI-First Approach to IT Operations

    At its recent Cisco Live 2025 event, Cisco introduced AgenticOps, a transformative approach to IT operations that integrates advanced AI capabilities to enhance efficiency and collaboration across network, security, and application domains.

  • educators seated at a table with a laptop and tablet, against a backdrop of muted geometric shapes

    HMH Forms Educator Council to Inform AI Tool Development

    Adaptive learning company HMH has established an AI Educator Council that brings together teachers, instructional coaches and leaders from school district across the country to help shape its AI solutions.