Public Invited To Digital Archive Program

NEBRASKA CITY – Jason Heppler, digital engagement librarian for UNO libraries, will be available at the Morton-James Public Library from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Nov. 18 and Nov. 19.

The Mobile Digitization for Rural Community Archives is free and open to the public. People are invited to bring in documents and photos for digitizing.

In recent years, archivists have identified the need and desire to capture community archives with the goal of providing community members with tools to engage with their collections as well as equip archivists with connections, tools, and techniques to use in their communities.

University of Nebraska Omaha Libraries is pioneering the use of a mobile digitization lab and maker space to work with rural communities and Tribal partners in Nebraska to collect a range of material including newspapers, Tribal government documents, correspondence, objects, and community memorabilia.

“Mobile Digitization for Rural Community Archives” is a grant-funded pilot project that includes a mobile digitization lab and maker space concept, supported by the Catalyst Fund.

Through the creation of a mobile maker space and digitization lab, the project has the ability to interact with rural communities and digitize their material, making it widely available yet keeping the archive local.

The Mobile Archives is reaching out to communities beyond the Omaha and Council Bluffs area to work with local archives and collections. Combined with the University of Nebraska at Omaha’s core mission of community engagement, they are exploring ways of providing access to community-made archives, demonstrating a model for community engagement and public humanities, and employing innovative technology to enable digital participation.