My name is Dale Meinholz, an MLIS student at the UW Milwaukee School of Information Studies. This summer I am working in Wisconsin Rapids with the McMillan Memorial Library and the South Wood County Historical Museum. I am excited to be a part of Curating Community Digital Collections (CCDC).
My first few visits to Wisconsin Rapids have revolved around getting to know the digital collections. Wisconsin Rapids is home to many interesting collections including Grim Natwick (Wisconsin Rapids native and animator behind Betty Boop and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs), cranberries, papermaking, the Wisconsin River, and other local history. I am currently gathering information to create a collections inventory that will help inform our digital preservation plan.
Like many cultural heritage institutions, both the library and historical museum began their digital collections as digitization projects. Now we are working together to create formal policies and procedures to manage and preserve this local history. In addition to creating that digital preservation plan, we are also creating workflows that align with and support the preservation plan, and also a 3-2-1 backup plan. One of our ongoing discussions has focused on creating and managing preservation and access metadata in order to better manage and use the collections.
Some other interesting aspects of my adventure have been to observe some of the amazing things happening at the McMillan Library and South Wood County Historical Museum. The library has an innovative makerspace area, constant programming, and an interesting community energy project involving rooftop solar panels. I am surrounded by ukuleles, T-Rex costumes, giant cardboard characters, solar lights, and seeds.
The South Wood Historical Museum is housed in a historic home along the Wisconsin River that also formerly housed the library. They have many interesting displays showcasing their physical collections, including the Grim Natwick drawings, local industry, and re-creations of historic places.
For more information about Curating Community Digital Collections, visit https://recollectionwisconsin.org/digipres.
This project is made possible by the Institute of Museum and Library Services, #RE-85-17-0127-17.
