MBLC/MLS’ first symposium about Special Collections in Smaller Libraries (July, 2020) focused on big picture issues, such as: ‘what’s the contemporary value of local history and community archive special collections?;’ and ‘how to approach managing collections, including archives?’ Our wonderful slate of contributors presented a host of perspectives, practical tools, and their own case studies exploring this topic, specifically tailored for library workers, librarians, archivists, and collections volunteers in the Commonwealth with various levels of experience. View a recording of the symposium here if you missed it: https://vimeo.com/441103615.

MBLC/MLS announces another Special Collections in Smaller Libraries session that complements, and builds on the content of the first, scheduled for Monday, December 14th, 1p-2:30p. Speakers include State and Federal partners who provide free resources, programs, and grant opportunities that are specifically designed to support your work to preserve and provide access to your local history, archive, and other special collections. The event is targeted to library workers, librarians, archivists, and collection volunteers in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, but all who may benefit from the event are invited to join.

Panelists from the Massachusetts State Historical Records Advisory Board (MA SHRAB), and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), Division of Preservation & Access will provide background about their respective grant programs, including useful information such as the criteria to help you consider whether you might be a good fit to apply; what to expect in their processes; and timelines for applications. A panelist from Boston Public Library (BPL) Digital Services will outline Digital Commonwealth (DC) services beyond just their well-known and important free digitization program, discussing how DC’s hosting and digital infrastructure are designed to provide long-term digital preservation and access for your content, in multiple formats. Please join us for this session, which of course includes time for no-pressure Q&A.

Panel:
1. Massachusetts State Historical Records Advisory Board (MA SHRAB) and the Roving Archivist: Alejandra Dean, Assistant Digital Records Archivist at Massachusetts Archives and MA SHRAB Board Member, and Irene Gates, Interim Roving Archivist.
2. National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Preservation Assistance Grant: Dr. Molly Hardy, Senior Program Officer, NEH Division of Preservation & Access.
3. Digital Commonwealth as long-term, full-service digital partner: Jake Sadow, Statewide Digitization Project Archivist, Boston Public Library Digital Services. Hosted by Evan Knight, Preservation Specialist, MBLC

This symposium is hosted by the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners in collaboration with the Massachusetts Library System.

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