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G2S Project Code: 2023-WA-93222
State: Washington
Fiscal Year: 2023

Grantee
Washington State Library

Project Director
Director Name: Evan Robb
Director Phone: (360) 704-5228
Director Email: evan.robb@sos.wa.gov

General Information
Title: Washington Digital Heritage
State Project Code: 09550-2421-22
Start Date: 10/01/2023
End Date: 09/30/2024
Abstract: Washington Digital Heritage supports digitization and digital initiatives at libraries. It incorporates Washington Rural Heritage, a digitization project that provides online access to historical materials held by more than 150 of Washington’s smallest institutions and the Northwest DPLA Hub, a metadata node for digital cultural heritage established in 2020.
State Goal: Goal 2. Preserve and share Washington’s stories using methods and tools that balance accessibility with respect for the storytelling culture.

Budget Information

LSTA

MATCH-State

MATCH-Other

Total

$383,841.04

$0.00

$383,841.04

Intent(s)
Improve users’ ability to discover information resources.
History

Activities
Activity Details
Title: Digitization of historical materials
Narrative: Academic, public, tribal, and special libraries were invited to apply for digitization sub-grants to capture and preserve archival and special collections. WSL awarded 13 digital projects. Awardees digitized 14,839 pages, digitized 63 audio and 64 video recordings, recorded 21 oral histories, created or updated 1,252 metadata records, developed 8 guideline documents, and created 2 digital exhibits. 5,248 pages from current and past WRH partner libraries were processed and ingested to the Washington Rural Heritage digital repository.
Intent: Improve users’ ability to discover information resources.

Activity: Content
Mode: Creation
Format: Digital

Quantity
Number of items digitized: 19,210
Number of items digitized and available to the public: 10,571
Number of physical items: 0
Number of open-source applications/software/systems: 0
Number of proprietary applications/software/systems: 0
Number of learning resources (e.g. toolkits, guides): 16
Number of plans/frameworks: 0

Partner Information

Organization Type of Partner Organization(s):
Libraries: Yes
Historical Societies or Organizations: No
Museums: No
Archives: No
Cultural Heritage Organization Multi-type: No
Preschools: No
Schools: No
Adult Education: No
Human Service Organizations: No
Other: No

Legal Type of Partner Organization(s):
Federal Government: No
State Government: No
Local Government (excluding school districts): No
School District: No
Non-Profit: No
Private Sector: No
Tribe/Native Hawaiian Organization: No

Beneficiaries
Is the activity directed at the library workforce: No
For a targeted group or for the general population: General

Locale
Is the activity state-wide: No
Specific Locations: Yes
Name: ASOTIN COUNTY LIBRARY
Address: 417 SYCAMORE ST.
City: CLARKSTON
State: WA
Zip: 99403
Name: FORT VANCOUVER REGIONAL LIBRARY DISTRICT
Address: 1007 E. MILL PLAIN BLVD
City: VANCOUVER
State: WA
Zip: 98663
Name: Inchelium Cultural Research Center
Address: PO Box 206
City: Inchelium
State: WA
Zip: 99138
Name: Jamestown S'Klallam Tribal Library
Address: 1033 Old Blyn Hwy
City: Sequim
State: WA
Zip: 98382
Name: King County Archives
Address: 1215 E Fir St.
City: Seattle
State: WA
Zip: 98122
Name: Kitsap History Museum
Address: 280 4th St.
City: Bremerton
State: WA
Zip: 98337
Name: ORCAS ISLAND LIBRARY DISTRICT
Address: 500 ROSE STREET
City: EASTSOUND
State: WA
Zip: 98245
Name: REARDAN MEMORIAL LIBRARY
Address: 120 S OAK
City: REARDAN
State: WA
Zip: 99029
Name: Seattle Art Museum
Address: 1300 1st Ave
City: Seattle
State: WA
Zip: 98101
Name: Seattle Pacific University
Address: 3307 3rd Ave W
City: Seattle
State: WA
Zip: 98119-1997
Name: Skagit County Historical Museum
Address: PO Box 818
City: La Conner
State: WA
Zip: 98257
Name: Washington State University
Address: French Administration Building
City: Pullman
State: WA
Zip: 99164-5910
Name: WHITMAN COUNTY LIBRARY
Address: 102 S. MAIN STREET
City: COLFAX
State: WA
Zip: 99111

Activity Details
Title: Training and consultation
Narrative: Project staff provide training and consultation to library staff and others involved with digitization subgrants or the Northwest Digital Heritage hub. This includes site visits, particularly to new grantees in the Washington Digital Heritage program, and presentations to classes and professional conferences about the program.
Intent: Improve users’ ability to discover information resources.

Activity: Instruction
Mode: Consultation/drop-in/referral
Format: Combined in-person & virtual

Quantity
Total number of consultation/reference transactions: 27
Average number of consultation/reference transactions per month: 2

Partner Information

Beneficiaries
Is the activity directed at the library workforce: Yes
For a targeted group or for the general population: General

Locale
Is the activity state-wide: No
Specific Locations: Yes
Name: FORT VANCOUVER REGIONAL LIBRARY DISTRICT
Address: 1007 E. MILL PLAIN BLVD
City: VANCOUVER
State: WA
Zip: 98663
Name: Inchelium Research Center
Address: PO Box 206
City: Inchelium
State: WA
Zip: 99138
Name: King County Archives
Address: 1215 E Fir St.
City: Seattle
State: WA
Zip: 98122
Name: ORCAS ISLAND LIBRARY DISTRICT
Address: 500 ROSE STREET
City: EASTSOUND
State: WA
Zip: 98245
Name: REARDAN MEMORIAL LIBRARY
Address: 120 S OAK
City: REARDAN
State: WA
Zip: 99029
Name: RITZVILLE PUBLIC LIBRARY
Address: 302 W MAIN
City: RITZVILLE
State: WA
Zip: 99169
Name: Seattle Art Museum
Address: 1300 1st Ave
City: Seattle
State: WA
Zip: 98101
Name: Seattle Pacific University
Address: 3307 3rd Ave W
City: Seattle
State: WA
Zip: 98119-1997
Name: Skagit County Historical Museum
Address: PO Box 818
City: La Conner
State: WA
Zip: 98257
Name: University of Washington-Seattle Campus
Address: 1400 NE Campus Parkway
City: Seattle
State: WA
Zip: 98195-4550
Name: WHITMAN COUNTY LIBRARY
Address: 102 S. MAIN STREET
City: COLFAX
State: WA
Zip: 99111

Activity Details
Title: Northwest DPLA Local portal
Narrative: The first multi-state service hub to use DPLA Local, a regionally branded slice of the nationwide DPLA, continues to grow. The metadata harvesting software Combine allows for largescale ingest of records to the hub and better integrate large digital collections from participating universities and other institutions. This year, 49 new institutions in Washington and Oregon joined the hub.
Intent: Improve users’ ability to discover information resources.

Activity: Content
Mode: Creation
Format: Digital

Quantity
Number of items digitized: 441,568
Number of items digitized and available to the public: 441,568
Number of physical items: 0
Number of open-source applications/software/systems: 0
Number of proprietary applications/software/systems: 0
Number of learning resources (e.g. toolkits, guides): 0
Number of plans/frameworks: 0

Partner Information

Public Libraries: 33
Academic Libraries: 10
SLAA: 1
Consortia: 0
Special Libraries: 103
School Libraries: 2
Other: 53

Project Outcomes
Project Outcomes
List any important outcomes or findings not previously reported:
This reporting period saw revived interest in digitization projects, with more than double the number of grant applicants and awardees compared to last year, including new recipients who had never been part of the program before. It may be due to libraries feeling more ready for special projects as pandemic impacts have lessened, or to increased outreach by program staff who presented about the project both at in-person conferences and virtually. The reporting period has been tumultuous for the Digital Public Library of America, the national platform of the Northwest Digital Heritage hub, and in the fall of 2024 DPLA announced that they will move to a new institutional home. Although this change should not significantly impact the NWDH, the period of uncertainly forced staff to plan for the possibility of the DPLA's closure.
Please briefly describe the importance of these outcomes and findings for future program planning:
Program staff will continue to monitor the situation with DPLA and respond to changes in ways that will benefit the NWDH and its users. NWDH has grown to 1 million records and is one of the largest hubs on DPLA, so it likely could be an independent platform should that need arise.
Explain one or two of the most significant lessons learned for others wanting to adopt any facets of this project:
NWDH highlights topics of interest to researchers and educators like the Great Seattle Fire, the Lewis and Clark Exposition, and Mount Saint Helens eruption. This curation provides easy access to the site for students and historians and increases the hub's usefulness and visibility.
Do you anticipate continuing this project after the current reporting period ends:
Yes
Do you anticipate any change in level of effort in managing this project:
No
Explain:

Do you anticipate changing the types of activities and objectives addressed by the project:
No
Explain:

Was an evaluation conducted for this project:
No
Was a final written evaluation report produced:
No
Can the final written evaluation report be shared publicly on the IMLS website:
No
Was the evaluation conducted by project staff (either SLAA or local library) or by a third-party evaluator:
Third-Party
What data collection tools were used for any report outcomes and outputs:
Did you collect any media for the data:
What types of methods were used to analyze collected data:
Other:
How were participants (or items) selected:
What type of research design did you use to compare the value for any reported output or outcome:

Exemplary: No
Exemplary Narrative

Project Tags: digitization, metadata, aggregation