A newsletter for members of the RI library community who have responsibility for the care and access of unique or rare manuscripts, records, books, audio and/or visual materials, local history and other special collections.

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In 2018 Veterans’ Day holds deeper meaning as the nation remembers the Centennial of the Armistice for the Great War, what unfortunately was later renamed World War II. Last fall Jessica Wilson, from South Kingstown Public Library, shared what the library and town were doing to observe the Centennial. If you have stories to share about your organization’s commemorative activities, please share on our listserve or volunteer to talk about them at an upcoming meeting. The SCRT is your group and peer-to-peer learning benefits everyone.

The October SCRT presentation by Kate Wells, Providence Public Library, gave us a lot to consider when engaging interns or volunteers in our libraries and archives. We need to be intentional in the projects we assign, clear in our expectations, and acknowledge the contributions made by the interns and volunteers. Kate’s presentation was followed by a discussion that gave further depth to the subject.

In part two of the October meeting, Patrick Crowley gave the participants a “librarians behind the scenes" tour to the Redwood Library and Athenaeum. We can’t tell you what we learned because . . . , well, you know what we’d have to do.

If you have an interest in digitization, whether you have a lot of experience, want to know the basics, or learn about the plans for a DPLA hub for RI, the upcoming Special Collections Roundtable is a must!

The next SCRT meeting is on December 13. Hope to see you there!

Wishing everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving!

Donna Longo DiMichele, OLIS

photo credit

New York's famous 369th regiment arrives home from France
NARA, Records of the War Department, RG 165, Identifier: 533548

The National Archives holds and provides access to extensive records created or received by the U.S. Government relating to Native Americans. I was very fortunate to have used those collections for my own research and was amazed by some of the documentation I found in the collection. For a great list of resources about Native America, visit the National Archives’ special topic page for Native American Heritage Month.

photo credit

Native Americans during an annual Veterans Pow-Wow, Travis Air Force Base, Calif., Nov. 6, 2004; NARA Record Group 330, Records of the Office of the Secretary of Defense, 1921 - 2008
Series: Combined Military Service Digital Photographic Files, 1982 - 2007

The National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC) seeks projects that will significantly improve public discovery and use of major historical records collections. NHPRC is especially interested in collections of America’s early legal records, such as the records of colonial, territorial, county, and early statehood and tribal proceedings that document the evolution of the nation’s legal history. All types of historical records are eligible, including documents, photographs, born-digital records, and analog audio and moving images. Projects may:

• Digitize historical records collections, or related collections, held by a single institution and make them freely available online
• Create new freely-available virtual collections drawn from historical records held by multiple institutions
• Provide access to born-digital records
• Create new tools and methods for users to access records

The NHPRC welcomes collaborative projects, particularly for bringing together related records from multiple institutions. Projects that address significant needs in the field and result in replicable and scalable approaches will be more competitive. Organizations are encouraged to actively engage the public in the work of the project. Full Information

Preliminary Proposal Deadline: January 17, 2019

The Federal Save America's Treasures grants program helps preserve nationally significant historic properties and collections that convey our nation's rich heritage to future generations of Americans. The National Park Service (NPS) announces the availability of $13 million in Historic Preservation Fund grants for the Save America's Treasures (SAT) program. SAT grants provide preservation and/or conservation assistance to nationally significant historic properties and collections. Grants will be awarded through a competitive process and require a dollar-for-dollar, non-Federal match, which can be cash or documented in-kind. Grants will be administered by the NPS in partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the National Endowment for the Arts, and National Endowment for the Humanities. Applications submitted through Grants.gov. Full Information

Application Deadline: December 3, 2018

Federal grants are applied for through Grants.gov. Become familiar with the Grants.gov before you start your grant application or letter of intent.

Applicant organizations must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) prior to submitting an application, maintain SAM.gov registration throughout the application and award process, and include a valid DUNS number in their application. Details on SAM registration and requesting a DUNS number can be found at the System for Award Management website at https://sam.gov/SAM/. Refer to the User Guides section and the Grants Registrations PDF.

Start the Grants.gov and the Sam.gov process early so by the time you are ready to submit a preliminary proposal or an application, you will be ready.

Northeast Document Conservation Center (NEDCC) is offering a hands-on workshop for an in-depth introduction to the preservation of photographic materials, including their identification, deterioration, and care. (Beginner to intermediate audience.)

March 14-13, 2019 at the Addison Gallery of American Art, Andover, MA More information

Opening the Drawers of the Harvard Theatre Collection, Houghton Library Blog, Oct. 23, 2018

At the Newark Public Library, Shopping Bags Carry Local History, Atlas Obscura, Sept. 25, 2018

Jackpot! 8 Recent Rare Book Finds in the Wild, Literary Hub, June 11, 2018

The Surprising Practice of Binding Old Books with Scraps of Even Older Books, Atlas Obscura, June 11, 2018

NEDCC provides free preservation advice to institutions and individuals worldwide. Each year, the Center answers more than 1,200 phone and e-mail inquiries about general preservation issues ranging from insect infestations to best practices in digitization. This free service is partially funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Email your questions to NEDCC

• Join the RISpecialCollections@googlegroups.com discussion forum! It's a convenient way to communicate with others who work with special collections and archives in Rhode Island libraries, historical societies, museums, and cultural heritage organizations. Use the link above to subscribe. It's your list, so use it to share what matters to you in the field of special collections and archives!

• To subscribe to Special Collections Roundtable News and Notes newsletter, send an email to Donna Longo DiMichele

The Office of Library and Information Services (OLIS) strengthens, connects and empowers libraries to advance knowledge, connect communities and enrich the lives of all Rhode Islanders. Funding for OLIS is from the State of Rhode Island and the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services.

Website: www.olis.ri.gov
Location: One Capitol Hill, Providence, RI 02908
Phone: 401-574-9300
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/olisri/
Twitter: @olisri