When you work with Advantage Archives, you get more than just a company, or a single person working with you, you get our whole Partnership Team. We believe it is important to work together to be the best possible partner. Doing so ensures that you’re getting the best of all of us, and in return, the best possible service. Whether it’s helping with your projects budget, organization, fundraising, branding, or anything else, we’ve got you covered. In order to help you get to know the team that helps you, we’re doing a Partnership Team spotlight. This weeks spotlight is on Larry Eckhardt!
- How long have you been working at Advantage Archives?
I have been in the industry since 2005 and Joined Advantage Archives at its inception in 2010.
- What is your favorite part of working at Advantage?
History is a passion of mine. Working with Libraries, Historical and Genealogical Societies in preserving their local history, while providing access to their communities is a big deal. Not only for me being able to assist them, but working with people who are passionate about these projects, and hearing the feedback that our partners receive from their Communities is awesome! Also, the local Library, History, and Genealogical Societies as a whole are a wonderful group of people to work with!
- What is the most interesting piece of history you have seen?
Wow this is a tough question as you can imagine we see a lot of interesting pieces daily. If I had to choose one interesting item, it is that in one of the communities we partner with there is a group of local gentlemen that have an “old time” fantasy baseball league where they pick a random date in history and draft their Fantasy baseball players. Then use the Archives to check the box score for that day and tally their fantasy points for the day based on the historic games on those particular dates.
- What is something you wish all libraries and cultural institutions knew about preserving history and making it freely accessible to their communities?
It’s difficult to pick one thing….. However, I think that when a institution does provide their history they are not only making it accessible to their communities, they are also reaching former members of their communities, and relatives to people from their communities so the reach of people that are interested in their communities history extends to not just their communities, their counties, their state, but the country and in some cases globally.
- What are some hobbies you have or something outside of work that our partners should know about you?
Well, when you love what you do, you never work a day in your life, so I feel my “work” is one of my Hobbies. However, I did start my career as a college football coach, and continued to coach High School football in my spare time while working in this field.
I have officially hung up my whistle, 4 years ago and have now picked up the hobbies of being a grandfather, and have become an advocate working with organizations that empower adults with disabilities in my spare time.
