Archivist of the United States David S. Ferriero has awarded $3,492,445 for 35 projects in 21 states to improve public access to historical records.
WiLS (Wisconsin Library Services), the program manager for the Recollection Wisconsin consortium, was awarded $22,547 from the National Archives grants program to undertake a community-driven strategic planning process intended to build “digital readiness” in small and rural repositories around the state. This fall, WiLS will partner with Recollection Wisconsin and the Wisconsin Historical Society Field Services team to conduct a survey of the 400+ WHS local history affiliates and facilitate strategic planning sessions to design an Archives Collaborative that will increase the capacity of local historical societies and historic preservation groups to create, manage, and share their digitized historical resources.
WiLS received one of six planning grants awarded for Archives Collaboratives, designed to create partnerships for archives in small, rural, and under-resourced communities or to unite archives with shared affinities. Other awardees include the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe of Michigan, the Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services in Dearborn, Michigan, the South Asian American Digital Archives in Philadelphia, and collaboratives in Nashville and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
Congratulations also goes to the Wisconsin Historical Society for securing $79,538 to support access to Wisconsin’s early legal records through the “Citizen Petition Access and Digitization Project,” which will process citizen petitions submitted to the Wisconsin legislature from 1836 to 2009. The project will then scan and make many available online, including all petitions related to African Americans and Native Americans, and create an online exhibition and classroom curriculum kits featuring select petitions.
The National Archives grants program is carried out through the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC). A complete list of newly-awarded grants is available online.
