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.

******************

The National Historical Publications and Records Commission seeks projects that will make collections from small and under-represented archives more readily available for public discovery and use. The grant program will fund best practices, tools, and techniques among member organizations; assess institutional strengths and opportunities; and develop plans and management structures for long-term sustainability and growth. Archives Collaboratives must consist of three or more organizations. More information
Final Deadline: April 4, 2019

A national grant competition administered by the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR) for digitizing rare and unique content in collecting institutions. The program is supported by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and built upon the model of CLIR’s Cataloging Hidden Special Collections and Archives program (2008-2014).

Grant Amounts:

• Single institutions – $50,000 to $250,000
• Collaborative, multi-institution applications – $50,000 to $500,000

Eligible Grant Activity

• Digitization of collections of scholarly value

Deadline: April 3, 2019

Complete information and guidelines: https://www.clir.org/hiddencollections/

Dr. Patrick T. Conley, President of the Heritage Harbor Foundation, announced that the Foundation has awarded $86,155 in grant money for 2019 to twelve local organizations. The purpose of the grants is to support projects aimed at increasing the awareness of Rhode Island adults and school-age students of their historical, ethnic, and cultural heritage.

Announcement and list of grantees

The Heritage Harbor Foundation provides grants to augment the audience, impact, or sustainability of existing programs, projects or initiatives aimed at increasing familiarity with Rhode Island history. Thus, the Foundation seeks to fund the vital, ‘essential extra’ that will:

• Ensure the permanent record of a program, project or initiative survives (such as a publication, film, script or recording)

• Uncover neglected aspects of Rhode Island’s history, particularly the stories of industrialization and immigration, and those which are most relevant to the state’s present-day population;

• Improve access to educational resources, such as developing curricular materials or by making existing scholarly information more accessible to teachers and students; and
  

• Increase collaboration between the state’s history and heritage organizations.

Learn more about the Heritage Harbor Foundation

NERGC’s seventh time recognizing the importance of public library staff, genealogist librarians, and local historians to the genealogy community. This professional development program will engage you with expert presentations on topics intended to inform and inspire your work.

Wednesday, April 3, 2019, 8:45 AM – 4:30 PM (the full conference is April 3-6)

Doubletree by Hilton, Manchester, NH

Program and Registration

Annual conference about creating, managing and using digital collections.

2019 Keynotes:

• Peter Hirtle, “Learning to Live with the Legal Risks of Digital Collections”

• Eben English: "Digital Commonwealth Repository Systems Update: Wooden Anniversary Edition"
• 9 breakout sessions
  

Tuesday, April 9, 2019, 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM

College of the Holy Cross, Hogan Center Worcester, MA

More information and to register

Rhode Islanders and visitors to the Ocean State love to play in historic places. The state’s coastal resort towns have hosted generations of summer visitors seeking rest and relaxation. Our cities erected large-scale sports venues for professional teams—and their adoring fans. Every community built its school gyms, little league fields, and public recreation facilities. By balancing historic preservation with the demands of the 21st century, these sites continue to play an active role in our lives.

East Providence is the 2019 focus. Tours will explore sports facilities at Agawam Hunt Club and the Indoor Tennis Court, visit the Crescent Park Carousel, and cruise the coastline to Pomham Rocks Lighthouse and the steamship graveyard at Green Jacket Shoal. Sessions will explore playful programming, preservation projects, recreation planning, Civil Rights, roadside architecture, and more.

Saturday, April 6, 2019, 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM

East Providence RI (various venues and tours throughout the day)

More information and to register

Get an in-depth introduction to the key principles, concepts, and elements of Describing Archives: A Content Standard, the recently revised U.S. standard for describing archival materials and their creators. Offered by the Society of American Archivists.

Amherst, MA May 23, 2019

Early-Bird Registration Deadline: April 23, 2019
More information and to register

"Paws, Pee and Mice: Cats among Medieval Manuscripts", Erik Kwakkel, medievalfragments

Feb. 22, 2013

“The End of School Segregation in Rhode Island” Erik Chaput and Russell J. DeSimone, Small State Big History, Aug. 2019

“Inside the Belgian Library That Tore Itself Apart,” Matthew Taub, atlasobscura, Feb. 14, 2019

"The Oldest Surviving Printed Advertisement in English (London, 1477)", Erik Kwakkel, medievalbooks, Jan. 24, 2019

• OLIS Special Collections Roundtable web page

• 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