> Title: Introducing 50+ New Public Library Members of the Internet Archive's Community Webs Program
> Author: Lori Donovan
> Date: Mon, 26 Apr 2021 03:32:38 -1000
> Feed: Internet Archive Blogs
The Internet Archive's Community Webs[3] Program provides training and
education, infrastructure and services, and professional community cultivation
for public librarians across the country to document their local history and the
lives of their patrons. Following our recent announcement[4] of the program's
national expansion, with support from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation[5], we are
excited to welcome the first class of 50+ new public libraries to the program.
This brings the current number of new and returning Community Webs participants
to 90+ libraries from 33 states and 3 US territories. This diverse group of
organizations includes multiple state libraries representing their regions, as
well as a mix of large metropolitan library systems, small libraries in rural
areas, and libraries like the Feleti Barstow Public Library in American Samoa.
All will be working to document their communities, with a particular focus on
archiving materials from traditionally underrepresented groups.
The new cohort class kicked off with virtual introductory events in mid-March,
where participants met one another and shared stories about their communities
and their goals for preserving and providing access to local history materials.
Member libraries are currently receiving training in topics such as collection
development and starting to build digital collections that reflect local
diversity, events, and culture.
Program participant Kathleen Pickering, Director of the Belen Public Library and
Harvey House Museum in Belen, New Mexico notes that their library "is committed
to free and open-source electronic resources for our patrons, especially given
the low-income status of many of our residents" and Community Webs will help
further that goal. Similarly, new cohort member Aaron Ramirez of Pueblo
City-County Library District (PCCLD) found Community Webs to be a great fit for
existing institutional goals and initiatives. "PCCLD's five-year strategic plan
directs us to embrace local cultures, to include individuals of all skill levels
and physical abilities, and to enrich established partnerships and
collaborations. The groups that have not seen themselves in our archives will
find through this project PCCLD's intention and means to listen and go forward
as allies and as a resource of support, rather than an institution serving only
the affluent."
[image 7][7]Makiba J. Foster
Makiba J. Foster, Manager of The African American Research Library and Cultural
Center of Broward County, Florida pointed out that "as content becomes
increasingly digital, we need this opportunity to document the digital life and
content of our community which includes a diverse representation of the Black
Diaspora." Makiba was a member of the original Community Webs cohort in a
previous position at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture at New
York Public Library, and recently presented[8] on her work archiving the black
diaspora to a group of more than 200 attendees.
The Community Webs Program is continuing to grow towards the milestone of over
150 participating libraries across the United States and will soon announce
another call for applicants for a U.S. cohort starting in late summer. The
program also is beginning to expand internationally, starting in Canada,
exploring the addition of other types of libraries and cultural heritage
organizations, and expanding its suite of training and services available to
participants. Expect more news on these initiatives soon.
Welcome to our new cohort of Community Webs libraries! The full list of new
members:
* Alamogordo Public Library (New Mexico)
* Amelia Island Museum of History (Florida)
* ART | library deco (Texas)
* Asbury Park Public Library (New Jersey)
* Atlanta History Center (Georgia)
* Bartholomew County Public Library (Indiana)
* Bedford Public Library System (Virginia)
* Belen Public Library and Harvey House Museum (New Mexico)
* Bensenville Community Public Library (Illinois)
* Biblioteca Municipal Aurea M. P?rez (Puerto Rico)
* Carbondale Public Library (Illinois)
* Cedar Mill & Bethany Community Libraries (Oregon)
* Charlotte Mecklenburg Library (North Carolina)
* Chicago Public Library (Illinois)
* City Archives & Special Collections, New Orleans Public Library (Louisiana)
* Dayton Metro Library (Ohio)
* Elba Public Library (Alabama)
* Essex Library Association (Connecticut)
* Everett Public Library (Washington)
* Feleti Barstow Public Library (American Samoa)
* Forsyth County Public Library (North Carolina)
* Hartford History Center, Hartford Public Library (Connecticut)
* Heritage Public Library (Virginia)
* Huntsville-Madison County Public Library (Alabama)
* James Blackstone Memorial Library (Connecticut)
* Jefferson Parish Library (Louisiana)
* Jefferson-Madison Regional Library (Virginia)
* Laramie County Library System (Wyoming)
* Lawrence Public Library (Massachusetts)
* Los Angeles Public Library (California)
* Mill Valley Public Library, Lucretia Little History Room (California)
* Missoula Public Library (Montana)
* Niagara Falls Public Library (New York)
* Pueblo City-County Library District (Colorado)
* Rochester Public Library (New York)
* Santa Cruz Public Libraries (California)
* South Pasadena Public Library (California)
* State Library of Pennsylvania (Pennsylvania)
* Tangipahoa Parish Library (Louisiana)
* The African American Research Library and Cultural Center (Florida)
* The Ferguson Library (Connecticut)
* Three Rivers Public Library District (Illinois)
* Virginia Beach Public Library (Virginia)
* Waltham Public Library (Massachusetts)
* Watsonville Public Library (California)
* West Virginia Library Commission (West Virginia)
* William B Harlan Memorial Library (Kentucky)
* Worcester Public Library (Massachusetts)
* Your Heritage Matters (North Carolina)
The post Introducing 50+ New Public Library Members of the Internet Archives
Community Webs Program[9] appeared first on Internet Archive Blogs[10].
Links:
[1]: http://blog.archive.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/comm_webs_logo.png (link)
[3]: https://communitywebs.archive-it.org/ (link)
[4]: https://blog.archive.org/2020/12/08/community-webs-program-receives-1130000-andrew-w-mellon-foundation-award-for-a-national-network-of-public-libraries-building-local-history-web-archives/ (link)
[5]: https://mellon.org/ (link)
[6]: http://blog.archive.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/makiba-headshot-150x150-2.png (link)
[7]: https://blog.archive.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/makiba-headshot-150x150-2.png (image)
[8]: https://archive.org/details/archiving-the-black-diaspora (link)
[9]: https://blog.archive.org/2021/04/26/introducing-50-new-public-library-members-of-the-internet-archives-community-webs-program/ (link)
[10]: https://blog.archive.org/ (link)