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G2S Project Code: 2024-OR-94918
State: Oregon
Fiscal Year: 2024

Grantee
State Library of Oregon

Project Director
Director Name: Buzzy Nielsen
Director Phone: 971-375-3486
Director Email: buzzy.nielsen@slo.oregon.gov

General Information
Title: Heritage Collections
State Project Code:
Start Date: 07/01/2024
End Date: 09/30/2025
Abstract: The State Library of Oregon uses LSTA funds to enhance access to heritage collections and the voices they represent. This year funds supported consulting services related to digitization and digital collections, and projects that make unique local collections publicly available. Through these activities, heritage collections in libraries and partner institutions became more accessible and findable.
State Goal: Honor culture, heritage, and Tribes

Budget Information

LSTA

MATCH-State

MATCH-Other

Total

$122,715.49

$0.00

$122,715.49

Intent(s)
Improve users’ ability to obtain and/or use information resources.
Arts, Culture & Humanities
Collection Development & Management

Activities
Activity Details
Title: Consulting
Narrative: The Data & Digital Projects Coordinator provided a range of technical assistance for heritage organizations, including training resources, information, and guidance on digitization and collection management; funding opportunities; and digital collections hosting for heritage organizations.
Intent: Improve users’ ability to obtain and/or use information resources.

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

Quantity
Total number of consultation/reference transactions: 200
Average number of consultation/reference transactions per month: 17

Partner Information

Organization Type of Partner Organization(s):
Libraries: No
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: Yes
For a targeted group or for the general population: General

Locale
Is the activity state-wide: Yes
Specific Locations: No
Library Types

Public Libraries: 136
Academic Libraries: 48
SLAA: 0
Consortia: 7
Special Libraries: 28
School Libraries: 0
Other: 26

Activity Details
Title: Northwest Digital Heritage
Narrative: A partnership between the Washington State Library, the Oregon Heritage Commission, and the State Library of Oregon, Northwest Digital Heritage (NWDH) makes online heritage collections from institutions in Oregon, Washington, and Idaho searchable from one website. This year, with the help of a consultant, the State Library and its partners upgraded NWDH’s software and website, and migrated digital assets to a more sustainable and cost-effective architecture. This has resulted in increased site performance for end users and a system that can be scaled in the future. New website features include maps, statistics, and searchable lists of contributing organizations.
Intent: Improve users’ ability to obtain and/or use information resources.

Activity: Content
Mode: Other
Format: Digital
Other: Maintained repository site

Quantity

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

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: Yes
Specific Locations: No
Library Types

Public Libraries: 136
Academic Libraries: 48
SLAA: 0
Consortia: 7
Special Libraries: 28
School Libraries: 452
Other: 26

Activity Details
Title: Historic Resources for Springfield (subgrant)
Narrative: A public library and museum continued the process of improving online access to their collection of photographs, artifacts, and archives. The entire photograph collection and nearly the entire scrapbook collection was digitized and made available online. Volunteers updated metadata on 1,500 items to make items more easily findable. Staff created scanning and cataloging guidelines and did outreach at 4 events with 161 attendees.
Intent: Improve users’ ability to obtain and/or use information resources.

Activity: Content
Mode: Description
Format: Digital

Quantity
Number of items made discoverable to the public: 6,312
Number of collections made discoverable to the public: 4
Number of metadata plans/frameworks produced/updated: 0

Partner Information

Activity Details
Title: Capturing the Stories of Lowell (subgrant)
Narrative: A rural public library received an LSTA subgrant to expand their digital repository to include oral histories and bring the stories of the town (Lowell) and surrounding unincorporated areas to life. The library director met with a consultant to cover the logistics of oral history programs, held trainings for volunteers, and purchased equipment needed for the project. Unfortunately, due to a variety of factors, no further progress was made on the project.
Intent: Improve users’ ability to obtain and/or use information resources.

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

Quantity
Total number of consultation/reference transactions: 3
Average number of consultation/reference transactions per month: 1

Partner Information

Project Outcomes
Project Outcomes
List any important outcomes or findings not previously reported:
Consulting: The State Library’s Data & Digital Projects Coordinator visited small libraries and cultural institutions in Oregon 18 times to help them build and share their local digital collections through larger platforms online. Northwest Digital Heritage: This year NWDH hit over one million records from over 300 organizations. It also surpassed 1-million metadata records aggregated through the Digital Public Library of America. Staff have heard from several contributing organizations that online traffic to their digital collections has increased since participating in NWDH. Historic Resources for Springfield (subgrant): The library achieved their primary goal of helping community members search, browse, and view images and descriptions in their online catalog. The project has attracted new visitors to the collections while also improving their preservation for the future. Front desk volunteers created a resource flyer because they were receiving so many requests for details. And the Mayor shares photos from the catalog on his Facebook page!
Please briefly describe the importance of these outcomes and findings for future program planning:
The online collections from these activities’ historical photographs, documents, scrapbooks, newspaper clippings, and images of physical objects, as well as more contemporary images of communities and landscapes throughout the state. These digitized materials are now easy to search for and offer a wealth of photos that would otherwise be hidden away in small towns and remote archives across the Pacific Northwest.
Explain one or two of the most significant lessons learned for others wanting to adopt any facets of this project:
It is important to take time to consider what an institution needs from a digital platform. Staff may need to pivot to another platform based on feedback and usability. It is also necessary to have trained and qualified staff not only to manage projects and but also have the knowledge and ability to perform the work.
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:
Yes
Explain:
Objective will stay the same, but specific activities vary year to year (especially subgrants).
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: heritage, digital collections, history