▁( 1 9 1 5 , ▁ 1 9 5 0 , ▁ 1 9 6 9 , ▁ 1 9 8 5 ) ▁contained ▁photograph s ▁of ▁students ▁we aring ▁black face . ▁The ▁removal ▁was ▁widely ▁critic ized , ▁including ▁by ▁the ▁Society ▁of ▁American ▁Archiv ists , ▁the ▁Ste ering ▁Committee ▁of ▁the ▁Mid - At l antic ▁Regional ▁Archives ▁Conference , ▁the ▁American ▁Library ▁Association ' s ▁Office ▁of ▁Intel lect ual ▁Fre edom ▁and ▁Office ▁for ▁D iversity , ▁Liter acy ▁and ▁Out re ach ▁Services , ▁and ▁the ▁Virginia ▁Library ▁Association . ▁The ▁digit ized ▁volumes ▁were ▁still ▁available ▁on ▁the ▁Internet ▁Archive ▁after ▁they ▁were ▁tempor arily ▁removed ▁from ▁the ▁institution al ▁repository , ▁and ▁all ▁physical ▁copies ▁of ▁the ▁year books ▁were ▁also ▁available ▁in ▁the ▁library . ▁The ▁university ▁issued ▁a ▁statement ▁saying ▁access ▁to ▁the ▁digit ized ▁year books ▁would ▁be ▁restored ▁once ▁the ▁university ▁developed ▁accomp any ing ▁" ed uc ational ▁information ▁regarding ▁the ▁history ▁and ▁practice ▁of ▁black face ▁to ▁help ▁all ▁of ▁us ▁understand ▁why ▁it ▁is ▁a ▁rac ist ▁and ▁pre jud icial ▁practice ." ▁ ▁The ▁Wy nd ham ▁Robert son ▁Library ▁and ▁the ▁H oll ins ▁University ▁Working ▁Group ▁on ▁S la very ▁and ▁its ▁Contempor ary ▁L ega cies ▁issued ▁a ▁statement ▁in ▁response ▁object ing ▁to ▁the ▁decision , ▁stating ▁that , ▁" we ▁cannot ▁and ▁do ▁not ▁support ▁any ▁er asure ▁of ▁institution al ▁history , ▁even ▁if ▁only ▁tempor arily " ▁and