University of North Texas 
A long-standing online historical database created by the University of North Texas Libraries has received a prestigious honor from the Texas Historical Commission.
The Portal to Texas History is one of two recipients of the Governor’s Award for Historic Preservation, given
annually by the Texas Historical Commission (THC.) THC said the Governor’s award —
one of several given as part of the organization’s Preservation Awards — “acknowledges
the highest achievement in historic preservation in the State of Texas.” Representatives
from the UNT Libraries and the Portal received the award at a banquet during the 2025
Real Places Conference in Austin.
“We’re excited and so proud that the commission has recognized the accomplishments
we’ve made in over two decades,” said Dreanna Belden, director of external partnerships
for UNT Libraries.
Founded by Associate Dean of Libraries Emeritus Cathy Nelson Hartman and launched in 2004, the Portal to Texas History has served as a digital repository for historical materials
and artifacts sourced from libraries, museums, archives and private collectors. The
Portal also offers free resources like the Texas Digital Newspaper Program, which digitizes Texas newspapers to provide public access. By 2021, the site had
exceeded over 100 million unique visits; in 2024, it celebrated the addition of its
two-millionth item.
A long-standing partnership with the commission provides Portal visitors access to
digitized artifacts and other relevant content. The partnership has also sparked projects
like Texas History for Teachers, a curriculum guide for teachers of middle school students preparing for standardized
tests. Belden says more opportunities for collaboration, including virtual tours of
historical sites, are in the future.
“They’ve been great partners and very supportive of our work. Our organizations have
so many strengths that mesh well together,” Belden said.
Hartman, Belden and Interim University Librarian and Vice Provost Sian Brannon were
among the UNT Libraries representatives in attendance at the awards banquet in Austin.
Also present were librarians Jake Mangum and Ana Krahmer, who gave a presentation
about partnering with and utilizing the portal. Krahmer, who is the director of the
UNT Digital Newspaper Unit, said the university’s presence at the conference was a full-circle moment.
“When the Portal was being formed, so much work went into forming these partnerships
— it was such a grassroots effort and involved a lot of collaboration,” she said.
“This award is a testament to that work, and to the individuals who have dedicated
their lives to preserving Texas history.”