AUC Robert W. Woodruff Library and Project STAND Digitization Microgrant
The AUC grant is affiliated with the Project STAND (Student Activism Now Documented), a project focusing on student activism, past and present. As indicated on the Project’s website, student organizers from communities of color are often the heartbeat of social movements that lead to transformative justice. Evidence of SC State students’ struggle for racial equality and social justice is seen in the Collegian as early as 1946. During the 1960s, student protests and other events led to the Orangeburg Massacre in 1968, a story still being told.
SC State’s participation in this grant provides the opportunity for digitization and virtual dissemination of student newspapers. This will allow the student’s story to be told from the student’s own perspective, as they strived for social justice for people of color. Maximum funding offered by the Digital Flowers project is $15,000. This project may serve as a catalyst to obtain additional funding for digitization of the entire Orangeburg Massacre Collection.
Dear Mr. Elbert Malone, Ms. Ashley Till, and Mr. Avery Daniels,
Thank you for submitting your project for consideration for an AUC Robert W. Woodruff Library and Project STAND Digitization Microgrant, funded through the generous support of Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. We are excited to share that your project, SC State Student Newspaper Collection, has been selected for an award of $16,000. The review committee was inspired by the project description and clear commitment to ethical documentation of student activism. We look forward to supporting your work.
In the coming weeks, we will follow up with an official award letter, press release, and details about the administrative process. As we are still in the process of notifying recipients, we ask that details about the award not be shared publicly. Do not hesitate to reach out to us with additional questions or concerns. Congratulations, on behalf of the grant selection committee!
Warm Regards,
keondra
The WYSO Archives Hosts the HBCU Radio Preservation Project
Historically Black Colleges/Universities (HBCU) radio stations have both participated in and documented the African American experience, including the Civil Rights era. There are currently 104 HBCUs, and of those, 29 have active radio stations. In thirteen states and the District of Columbia, the stations are as diverse as HBCUs themselves: they are public/private, large/small, rural/urban, and range in geography from the Deep South to the Midwest, from the Eastern Seaboard to the Great Plains. Many of these stations have been in existence for decades, and their obsolete magnetic media are deteriorating; we stand to lose forever this primary source material reflecting the diversity of the Black experience over time. In addition, born digital material is also at risk, due in part to its sheer volume; it also has specific preservation needs. There is no database or easily accessed, comprehensive information on any historical materials that HBCU radio stations might hold.
Phase II Pilot Project activities include:
National Preservation Program: Preservation Needs Assessment and Preservation Plan
This program is open to institutions with humanities collections that are available to the public on a regularly scheduled basis located anywhere in the United States. Through funding from the NEH, CCAHA is able to offer a limited number of subsidized assessments for a total of just $500 each.
Participation in this program requires a two-year commitment. In the first year, the institution will be assigned an assessor, who will work with the institution over the course of the program. The assessor will require access to institutional policies, procedures, plans, and other information. During the first year, the assessor will schedule a time to visit the institution and conduct a preservation needs assessment. The preservation needs assessment process encompasses a general evaluation of the institution's preservation needs for their collections and includes: environment (temperature, relative humidity, pollution, and light), housekeeping, pest control, fire protection, security, and disaster preparedness; collection storage, handling, exhibition, and treatment; and preservation planning. The site visit consists of a review of the facility conducted by a CCAHA preservation expert, an examination of the collections, and interviews with relevant staff. The written report provides observations, recommendations, and resources to serve as a guide in the development of a comprehensive preservation plan for the collections.
In the second year, the assessor will then work with the institution to develop a three-five-year preservation plan for their collections. A preservation plan provides a strategic framework for advancing preservation and collections care initiatives. The preservation plan will address: institutional policies and procedures; collection development policies and priorities; emergency preparedness and response; environmental conditions and monitoring (temperature, relative humidity, light, pests, and mold); storage furniture and materials; security; housekeeping; staffing; financial resources; repair and conservation treatment needs; reformatting options (microfilming, photoduplication, photocopying, and digital imaging); and exhibition needs. The plan will include timetables with benchmarks and assign responsibilities.