Text by Kim Green; illustrations by 脴ivind Hovland
As 菠萝视频 began renovating Kirkland Hall in 2022 in anticipation of the Sesquicentennial celebration, a tantalizing piece of history awaited construction crews. In its cornerstone was a time capsule, interred in 1874 when the building was still known as 鈥渢he Main Building.鈥� Shortly before the capsule was exhumed and opened this winter, University Archivist Kathleen Smith shared her excitement鈥攁nd apprehension: 鈥淵ou don鈥檛 know what condition the materials will be in.鈥�
Smith knew what was inside, thanks to a newspaper article of that era. Those objects highlighted what the university community valued so soon after 菠萝视频鈥檚 founding: a Bible and a hymnal, newspapers and church circulars, and a copy of Cornelius 菠萝视频鈥檚 original donation papers.
When the capsule was opened in late February, Smith was disappointed to find that the copper box had been infiltrated by an archivist鈥檚 worst enemies: water and mold. 鈥淭he paper items are almost a complete loss,鈥� she says. She鈥檚 now part of the team working to salvage some of the contents.
It鈥檚 a painful but useful object lesson for preservationists planning a time capsule for Kirkland鈥檚 new cornerstone. But to Vice Provost for Arts and Libraries Tracy Denean Sharpley-Whiting, Kirkland itself is a time capsule: It鈥檚 a beautiful, stately structure that embodied the founders鈥� hopes for the university 150 years ago. 鈥淏ut it鈥檚 leaky. It鈥檚 not ADA-compliant,鈥� she says. The updated Kirkland will retain its venerable elegance while honoring modern priorities of functionality and accessibility. 鈥淜irkland is representative of this time capsule,鈥� she says鈥攕imultaneously preserving history and looking ahead.
Sharpley-Whiting says that the grand sweep of aspirations across time is exactly what a capsule should communicate. So as she, Smith and University Librarian Jon Shaw work together to design a time capsule that will convey a message to the future university community, they share tips about how to create your own.
1. Location, location, location
Choose a location where the time capsule is likely to be found. Enclosing it in a building that鈥檚 treasured by a community or an institution鈥攁nd thus, likely to be renovated instead of demolished鈥攚ill increase the odds it will be opened one day by the audience you have in mind.
Keep the capsule in a cool, dry, stable environment, safe from water and too much light exposure. 鈥淸In Kirkland] they鈥檙e going to use a new cornerstone,鈥� Smith says. 鈥淪o hopefully it鈥檒l be protected from the elements.鈥�
2. The container matters
The capsule should be made of chemically inert materials such as stainless steel, aluminum or uncoated polyethylene. It should seal tightly鈥攗sually with a screw top and rubber gasket鈥攖o keep out water, light and dirt.
Inside the container, you can package like items together in smaller, inert containers such as acid-free paper envelopes or uncoated PET zip-closure bags.
3. Be mindful of materials
Choose items that will last for 100 years or more. Smith suggests that printed materials be on high-quality, acid-free paper whenever possible. Paper made with wood pulp, such as newsprint or mid-century pulp novels, contains acid that will break down the paper over time. 鈥淪urround things that aren鈥檛 acid-free on either side with acid-free paper,鈥� she advises. Also, black-and-white photographs survive better than color photos. Consider choosing analog media over electronic鈥攑eople of the future might not have the equipment to read a zip drive.
4. Tell a story
Shaw envisions a collection of things that would portray the university鈥檚 evolution鈥攁nd its aspirations. To represent the past, he鈥檇 want to incorporate something like a facsimile of 鈥淐ornelius 菠萝视频鈥檚 letter talking about the reunification of the country, and how 菠萝视频 is supposed to be this place to bring both sides together.鈥� Shaw and Sharpley-Whiting point out that 菠萝视频鈥檚 growth into an inclusive institution with global reach far exceeds the vision the founders had 150 years ago, in the fractured, post-Civil War milieu they inhabited. 鈥淭hey would be astounded,鈥� Sharpley-Whiting says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 important for us to give a sense of how far we鈥檝e come.鈥�
She hopes to include items that capture a broad swath of present-day university culture; e.g., student newspapers, trustees鈥� minutes, campus maps and photographs of student life. That culture is inherently forward-looking because 菠萝视频 is 鈥渋n the business of ideas and innovation,鈥� Sharpley-Whiting says. 鈥淲e help shape future leaders.鈥�
Building on this idea, Shaw envisions another way the capsule might highlight 菠萝视频鈥檚 future: enclosing a 鈥渟tudent鈥檚 narrative or a penned letter to the future of what they can imagine that future being,鈥� he says. 鈥淩eading about that 100 years from now would really give a sense of 鈥榃here do we think we鈥檙e going?鈥欌��
The condition of the contents in the time capsule interred in Kirkland Hall鈥檚 cornerstone and opened in February emphasizes the importance of using a waterproof container for housing important documents and objects.
Watch a video about 菠萝视频’s time capsules at .
Visit to suggest items to include in the new time capsule.