Digital POWRR (Preserving Digital Objects with Restricted Resources) is pleased to announce that we have recently been awarded new grant funding through the Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), for our proposal “POWRR Professional Development Institutes for Digital Preservation.” With this award, POWRR will be able to hold a minimum of five, two-day professional institutes enabling librarians and archivists from small and mid-sized institutions to build skills for curating and preserving digital collections, as well as facilitating connections between small institutions and local experts. The institutes will expand upon and innovate the successful POWRR workshop format in several ways: by bringing in expert speakers from the field to expose participants to other germane projects, initiatives, and services; by providing more sustained technical instruction with ample time dedicated to training with tools; and by emphasizing cohort building among attendees, and providing individualized consultation with instructors.
The Institutes will be held at no charge for participants and will include financial assistance to help participants with travel expenses. We endeavor to especially address the needs of communities served by non-elite institutions, including ethnically and geographically-defined populations that have often struggled to preserve their digital assets. By partnering with the Historically Black Colleges and Universities Library Alliance, the Sustainable Heritage Network, the Appalachian College Association, and the American Association for State and Local History, we hope to reach those professionals who are most in need of this opportunity.
The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation’s 123,000 libraries and approximately 35,000 museums. Their mission is to inspire libraries and museums to advance innovation, lifelong learning, and cultural and civic engagement. Their grant making, policy development, and research help libraries and museums deliver valuable services that make it possible for communities and individuals to thrive. To learn more, visit www.imls.gov and follow them on Facebook and Twitter.
This award is especially meaningful, as the Digital POWRR Project began as an IMLS-funded grant study. With their initial support, and a later major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), POWRR has been able to aid thousands of librarians and archivists in developing and cultivating their digital preservation programs. We are very grateful that IMLS’s continued support, through this award, allows us to continue that work!
We are looking forward to what the next two years will bring, and we hope you are too. Check back here for updates and to see if an institute is coming to your area!
