Spring was a busy and exciting season for the Recollection Wisconsin Digitization Initiative, as program participants showcased their work at two regional conferences. Their presentations emphasized both the technical and collaborative nature of digitization, while also highlighting the importance of community partnerships and cultural stewardship in preserving and providing access to Wisconsin’s rich history.
Kierstin Wagner, a recent graduate of UW-Milwaukee SOIS and one of our student interns in fall 2024, presented a research poster at the 2025 Midwest Archives Conference (MAC) Annual Meeting held on April 10-12, 2025, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Her poster highlighted her hands-on experience with digital curation in collaboration with the Hoocąk Waaziija Haci Language Division (Ho-Chunk Language Division) in Tomah, Wisconsin. Kierstin’s project focused on respectful and culturally informed work with the Language Division’s language learning materials using Mukurtu, work that exemplifies our commitment to inclusive and community-driven practices.
In addition to Kierstin’s poster presentation, Recollection Wisconsin digital specialist and consortia manager, Kristen Whitson joined an esteemed group to discuss what it takes to successfully plan and manage a grant-funded project, regardless of size or complexity. Panelists shared insights from their experiences overseeing grants at different types of institutions. The discussion covered practical lessons including budgeting time and money, and managing staff and student employees, working with vendors, and collaborating with external partners and advisory boards. Participants also reflected on the challenges of aligning grant applications with the realities of project implementation and maintaining team morale throughout the process.
The Recollection Wisconsin Digitization Initiative also convened a panel at the 2025 Upper Midwest Digital Collections Conference held on May 6–7, 2025, at the Union Depot in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The session featured Kierstin Wagner alongside Vito Bortolotti, Eagle River Historical Society executive director and host site supervisor in fall 2024, and Vicki Tobias, Recollection Wisconsin Digitization Initiative program coordinator.
Together, they shared stories and strategies from the field, discussing the challenges and rewards of community-based digitization work and tips for building successful partnerships between academic programs and local history organizations. From supporting Indigenous language preservation to enhancing local history collections from smaller communities, the panel offered a compelling look at innovative ways our program empowers local institutions and individuals to preserve and share their stories. You can view their panel presentation on YouTube: Recollection Wisconsin Digitization Initiative: Fostering Collaboration Between Information School Programs and Local History Organizations (Length: 49:05).
By fostering collaboration between students, community organizations, and professional mentors, the Recollection Wisconsin Digitization Initiative continues to build a sustainable model for digital collection development and preservation, one grounded in education and collaborative learning. The voices and projects featured at these spring conferences reflect the initiative’s core mission: supporting communities across Wisconsin in preserving and sharing their histories through collaborative, respectful, and community-centered digitization efforts.
Many thanks to both the Midwest Archives Conference and the Upper Midwest Digital Collections Conference (Minitex) for having us! For more information about our initiative, visit https://recollectionwisconsin.org/rwdi.
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