Recollection Wisconsin Digitization Initiative
On January 15–16, we kicked off the Spring 2026 Recollection Wisconsin Digitization Initiative with our Immersion Workshop, two days designed to get students and host site supervisors ready to hit the ground running.
Day one we convened at the Fitchburg Public Library, with lots of coffee, conversation, and hands-on work. After introductions and an icebreaker, teams jumped into the tools they’ll be using all semester, from scanning best practices and file naming to project tools and platforms and digital preservation. Each project team had a Recollection Wisconsin “training buddy” to help troubleshoot, answer questions, and work through their project plan and questions together.
Three special guests joined us for lunch: Jill Kambs, Digital Collections Production Manager at UW–Madison Libraries; Nyama Reed, Director of the Whitefish Bay Public Library; and Ben Miller from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. Ben Miller shared reflections on the importance of preserving history in this moment, leaving the group energized and inspired.
The afternoon was all about doing the work: scanning items from their collections, creating metadata, and uploading content into CONTENTdm. By the end of the day, every team had moved sample items all the way through the digitization workflow, a great way to build confidence before heading out to host sites. We wrapped the day with team conversations and reflection.
On Friday, we reconvened virtually on Friday to review key concepts, talk digital preservation basics, and focus on project planning. Teams spent dedicated time working through goals, timelines, selected content, equipment, and sustainability plans, with plenty of time for questions and conversation.
With the Immersion Workshop complete, the Spring 2026 cohort is officially underway, and we can’t wait to see these projects take shape. Stay tuned for updates as new digitized collections make their way to Recollection Wisconsin.
Huge thanks to our Spring 2026 project teams who jumped in with curiosity, good questions, and a willingness to learn together:
- Magnolia Sandell and Sarah French, Whitewater Public Library
- Erik Daniels and Renee Anhalt, Madison Area Technical College
- Bri Quintero Bungert and Amy Peterson, Farnsworth Public Library (Oconto)
For more information about the Recollection Wisconsin Digitization Initiative, visit https://recollectionwisconsin.org/rwdi or contact vicki [at] wils.org.
