Trumbull Historical Society Gets $247K Grant to Digitize Archives

WARREN, Ohio —Trumbull County Historical Society will receive a federal grant to digitize more than 2,000 oversized archive materials, including maps, blueprints and photographs, dating from the early 1800s to the present.

The grant, awarded through the Institute of Museum and Library Services’ Museums for America program, will total $247,100 over a three-year grant period.  Other Museums for America grantees in Ohio include the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, the Taft Museum of Art, the Ohio History Connection, and the Cincinnati Museum Center.

“These funds will allow us to purchase the only publicly accessible, large-format flatbed scanner between us and Cleveland,” said TCHS director Meghan Reed. “We are over the moon to have received this award and be able to provide this service to our community and local historical societies.”

Items that will benefit from this project include maps of Warren and Trumbull County from as early as the 1820s, drawings and plans from City of Warren parks, maps of railroad lines, blueprints of downtown buildings, and over 100 oversized photographs including graduating classes and fraternal organization, club, and church groups.

In addition to purchasing the scanning equipment, the grant will provide funds for museum-quality storage cabinets for the oversized archives, as well as hire a consulting conservator to oversee the rehousing process. Grant funds will also be used to hire a project manager to oversee this work for three years.

“As pillars of our communities, libraries and museums bring people together by providing important programs, services and collections. These institutions are trusted spaces where people can learn, explore and grow,” said IMLS director Crosby Kemper.

The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation’s libraries and museums.

Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.