Contact: Dan Nonte, University Relations
(336) 334-4314
Posted 7-15-08
Cat McDowell, digital projects coordinator for University Libraries, is the principal investigator for the $74,616 grant.
GREENSBORO, NC - The University Libraries at UNCG have received a $74,616 grant to create a web site with photos, letters, oral histories, newspaper clippings and other materials documenting the modern civil rights era in Greensboro.
The project, CivilRightsGreensboro, will unite primary source material from 1945-1980 held at UNCG, Guilford College, Greensboro College and Duke University. The money comes from the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services and is awarded by the State Library of North Carolina.
“I believe CivilRightsGreensboro will become a cornerstone resource in the study of civil rights generally and in the study of our city’s history,” said Cat McDowell, digital projects coordinator for University Libraries and the principal investigator for the grant.
“Diverse documentation of significant events, people, and issues during the local civil rights movement would not have been possible without collaboration between the partner institutions, and I look forward to working with them to create an informative, engaging website.”
CivilRightsGreensboro is a natural progression and extension of the Greensboro VOICES project, an oral history digital library created in partnership with the Greensboro Public Library and funded by the Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro. In the process of transcribing oral histories and writing web page content, UNCG project staff became intimately aware of local events in the civil rights movement, the existence of related material at other community archives, and the need to gather these resources in a virtual hub.
The funding is formally known as an NC ECHO digitization grant. ECHO is short for Exploring Cultural Heritage Online. The grants are awarded by the State Library of North Carolina, a division of the Department of Cultural Resources. The state pays for the grants with federal Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) funds from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), which seeks to expand learning resources and access to information for individuals from all walks of life.
IMLS is the primary source of federal support for the nation’s 122,000 libraries and 17,500 museums. The institute’s mission is to create strong libraries and museums that connect people to information and ideas, and fulfill their mission as centers of lifelong learning. It works at the national level and in coordination with state and local organizations to sustain heritage, culture and knowledge; enhance learning and innovation; and support professional development.
