Transaction Description:
RESURRECTING THE FIRST AMERICAN WEST [THIS PROJECT WILL "RESURRECT" THE FORMER LIBRARY OF CONGRESS AMERICAN MEMORY PROJECT, FIRST AMERICAN WEST, THE OHIO RIVER VALLEY, 1750-1820 (FAW). THE FILSON HOLDS METADATA AND IMAGES OF THE FILSON?S COLLECTION ITEMS FROM FAW, WHICH THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS RETURNED TO US IN 2016. THIS PROJECT WILL RETAIN CURRENT COLLECTIONS DEPARTMENT STAFF, ADDING TWO NEW PT HIRES, WHO WILL WORK REMOTELY TO CLEAN UP THE DATA AND INVOLVE THE FILSON'S MEMBERSHIP BASE AND COMMUNITY IN TRANSCRIPTION WORK AND NAME/SUBJECT INDEXING USING A SERVICE CALLED FROM THE PAGE. FILSON STAFF WILL THEN UPLOAD THE IMPROVED MATERIALS INTO OMEKA, OUR OPEN-SOURCE PLATFORM FOR DIGITAL CONTENT. THIS PROJECT WILL IN TURN INCORPORATE STAFF FROM OTHER DEPARTMENTS SUCH AS THE DEVELOPMENT AND EDUCATIONAL DEPARTMENTS, BY LEADING TO FURTHER RELATED PROGRAMMING, PUBLICATIONS, AND EDUCATIONAL CONTENT.] [PURPOSE: THE GRANT WILL BE USED TO REACTIVATE FILSON HISTORICAL SOCIETY'S DIGITAL HUMANITIES PROJECT TITLED THE FIRST AMERICAN WEST. THE GRANT WILL RETAIN NINE JOBS.  ACTIVITIES TO BE PERFORMED: THE MUSEUM WILL REACTIVATE THE DIGITAL HUMANITIES PROJECT TITLED THE FIRST AMERICAN WEST: THE OHIO RIVER VALLEY, 1750-1820. IT WILL SUPPLEMENT THE PERSPECTIVES CONTAINED IN PRIMARY SOURCES AND FOSTER NEW INTERPRETATIVE MATERIALS INCLUDING UPDATED ESSAYS, BIBLIOGRAPHIES, AND PUBLIC PROGRAMMING FEATURING THE PERSPECTIVES OF WOMEN, AFRICAN AMERICANS, AND INDIGENOUS PEOPLE. THE STAFF WILL PREPARE THE PROJECT FOR IN-PERSON ACCESS. THE MUSEUM WILL HIRE TWO INDIVIDUALS TO PROVIDE DATABASE MANAGEMENT FOR THE 23,000 IMAGES AND METADATA FILES. THE FORMAT OF THE DIGITAL FILES WILL BE UPDATED AND STANDARDIZED. THE NEW STAFF POSITIONS WILL ALSO CONVERT THE EXISTING METADATA INTO A MORE ACCESSIBLE FORMAT. ONCE THE METADATA HAS BEEN CLEANED UP, THE TEAM WILL UPLOAD THE MATERIAL INTO THE NEW CONTENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM, AND THE MUSEUM WILL INCREASE ITS DIGITAL STORAGE CAPACITY THE COLLECTIONS STAFF WILL EXPAND THE SCOPE OF THE ORIGINAL PROJECT?STARTED PRIOR TO THE PANDEMIC? BY DIGITIZING MANUSCRIPTS AND ARTIFACTS, GIVING SPECIAL CONSIDERATION TO TEXTILE AND HOUSEHOLD OBJECTS TO CAPTURE THE DAILY LIVES OF UNDERREPRESENTED COMMUNITIES. THE DATA WILL ULTIMATELY BE USED TO DEVELOP LESSON PLANS FOR EDUCATORS, VIRTUAL PROGRAMMING FOR SCHOLARS, AND ONLINE EXHIBITIONS.  EXPECTED OUTCOMES: THIS PROJECT WILL MAKE THE THE FIRST AMERICAN WEST: THE OHIO RIVER VALLEY, 1750-1820 PROJECT AVAILABLE TO SEVERAL AUDIENCES. THE MUSEUM WILL ANSWER ITS DIGITAL AND PHYSICAL ACCESS RELATED ISSUES.  INTENDED BENEFICIARIES: INTENDED BENEFICIARIES ARE THE GENERAL PUBLIC, TEACHERS AND STUDENTS, HUMANITIES SCHOLARS, PUBLIC HUMANITIES SPECIALISTS, AND MEMBERS OF THE MUSEUM STAFF.?  SUBRECIPIENT ACTIVITIES: THE RECIPIENT DOES NOT INTEND TO SUBAWARD FUNDS.]
