[Michlib-l] Presque Isle District Library receives LSTA grant for Sesquicentennial Digitization

[Amber Alexander]

Presque Isle District Library is Awarded Federal Grant for Digitizing
Historical Collection 

ROGERS CITY, MI 

We are pleased to announce that the Presque Isle District Library is the
recipient of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), "Library
Services Technology Act (LSTA) Improving Access to Information" grant
through the Library of Michigan in the amount of $15,084 for the
digitization of a historical collection entitled, "Presque Isle County
Sesquicentennial (1871-2021) Digitization Project". 

 

This extensive collection will be made available to the general public and
academia through the Michigan Service Hub of the Digital Public Library of
America. Regional support for this project will be fulfilled through the
Midwest Collaborative for Library Services (MCLS). "Once this historical
collection is digitized, it will be made available to the general public
worldwide and we are committed to ensure that the collection is sustainable
and maintained in perpetuity. Also, October is Family History month. This is
a great time to celebrate our local genealogical history", stated Amber
Alexander, Library Director. Alexander added, "We plan to hire two part-time
individuals who are skilled in computer technology to help with the scanning
and digitization process for the duration of the grant project". 

 

Partnering with the Presque Isle County Historical Museum, this collective
archive spans one hundred and fifty years. "The museum has a massive
collection of documents, photos, and genealogies that trace the 150-year
history of the county and Rogers City. Through this partnership with the
library, our most valuable research and reference materials will be
available online and at no cost to people around the globe. This has been a
goal for the museum that goes back to when we first acquired the massive
Calcite photo collection", stated Mark Thompson, Curator and Executive
Director of the PICHM. 2 of 2 

 

Both organizations will be working together to scan and digitize the Great
Lakes maritime and lumbering history, early homesteading, the historic
Calcite Collection, oral history recordings, archival correspondence, and
related documents. There is nearly seventy six thousand items to be
digitized and preserved for future generations. The grant period is for one
year starting October 1, 2020 through September 30, 2021. 

 

Anne Belanger, who will act as the grant administrator on the project, is
the program director and grant writer with the library. "During the
statewide shutdown due to the pandemic, I was researching grant
opportunities that addressed the needs of our community and this particular
grant was well-suited for both the museum and the library. It offered us an
opportunity to collaborate in a meaningful way to address how we could
preserve the historical collection of our combined archives. It was a very
competitive grant. Only ten applicants were approved out of twenty three
applicants. We are very grateful for this opportunity", stated Belanger. 

 

"As pillars of our communities, libraries and museums bring people together
by providing important programs, services, and collections. These
institutions are trusted spaces where people can learn, explore and grow,"
said IMLS Director Crosby Kemper. "IMLS is proud to support their
initiatives through our grants as they educate and enhance their
communities. 

 

The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of
federal support for the nation's libraries and museums. We advance, support,
and empower America's museums, libraries, and related organizations through
grant making, research, and policy development. Our vision is a nation where
museums and libraries work together to transform the lives of individuals
and communities. To learn more, visit www.imls.gov and follow us on Facebook
and Twitter. 

 

For more information regarding the digitization project, please contact
Amber Alexander, Library Director at the Presque Isle District Library,
989-734-2477.

 

Amber Alexander,MLIS

Library Director

Presque Isle District Library

181 E. Erie Street

Rogers City, MI  49779

989.734.2477, 222

www.pidl.org <http://www.pidl.org/> 

 

 

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