We are very pleased to announce the Asotin County Library and the Asotin County Museum have become the latest contributing institutions to the Washington Rural Hertiage initiative!

C.M. Evans store on Main Street in Clarkston, Washington

With nearly 200 items to date, the Asotin County Heritage collection presents images, maps, records, and artifacts from Clarkston, Asotin, Anatone, Washington, and the surrounding area including Lewiston, Idaho. The collection was made possible by a Washington Rural Heritage grant from the Washington State Library, funded by the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) through the Federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).

According to Jennifer Ashby, Director of the Asotin County Library, “The Rural Heritage project has enabled us to bring together items from private collections as well as the museum and library and to make them available to anyone, anywhere. In addition, it provides a way to preserve these materials for future generations. We will continue to add to the collection as materials become available to us.”

Some collection highlights include:

• Nez Perce tools and beadwork
• Agricultural implements and artifacts
• A collection of regional cattle brands
• Early buildings in Clarkston
• Aerial photographs of Clarkston, Asotin, and the Port of Wilma
• Several local histories on the area
• Historic postcards
• Items regarding the impact of the Lower Granite Dam

Beaver skin hat worn by Jackson Sundown, member of the Nez Perce & a world champion bronc rider, 1916 Pendleton (Oregon) Roundup.

Marjean Riggers, Allisha Parot, and Jennifer Ashby, all of Asotin County Library completed their initial digitization efforts with the assistance of a 2010 Washington Rural Heritage grant from the Washington State Library. Through an additional grant, they will begin digitizing another photograph collection this year loaned to the Library by a local resident which documents the history of the Silcott area and the Wilson Banner Ranch.

The Asotin County Library and the Asotin County Museum join more than 65 cultural institutions throughout the state that have digitized material with assistance from the Washington Rural Heritage initiative. These collections include historic photos, texts, objects & artifacts, and audiovisual materials that were, in some cases, previously inaccessible.  To date, Washington Rural Heritage has published 22 collections including more than 10,000 unique items which document local history from every corner of the state.

If you have comments or additional information about any of the items in the Asotin County Heritage Collection, or would like to contribute your own material for digitization, please contact the Asotin County Public Library or Asotin County Museum.

Volume 7, November 24, 2011 for the WSL Updates mailing list

Rand Simmons, Acting Washington State Librarian, and the staff at the Washington State Library wish you and yours a bountiful and happy Thanksgiving holiday!

Topics include:

1) NEW DIGITAL COLLECTION – SEDRO-WOOLLEY HERITAGE

2) APPLY NOW FOR SCHOOL LIBRARY BOOK GRANTS

3) FUNDING FOR INNOVATIVE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH

4) GRANTS NOW AVAILABLE FOR THE BIG READ

5) BECOME A FOUNDATION CENTER COOPERATING COLLECTION

6) FREE CE OPPORTUNITIES NEXT WEEK

—————————————————————————————————————

Read the rest of this entry »

Glass lantern slide advertisement from Sedro-Woolley’s Dream Theatre.

From the desk of Evan Robb

The Sedro-Woolley Public Library and Sedro-Woolley Museum recently completed work on a digital collection celebrating the history of Sedro-Woolley and neighboring communities of the Lower Skagit River Valley. Consisting of more than 300 digitized resources, the Sedro-Woolley Heritage Collection was funded by a Washington Rural Heritage grant from the Washington State Library.

According to Debra Peterson, Director of the Sedro-Woolley Public Library, “This has been such an exciting project.  Many of the photos in this collection have never been seen outside of the Sedro-Woolley Museum; it is such a great way to share these wonderful resources with our community.  Our students do extensive local history projects at several grade levels, and now they have instant access to historic documents that will assist them in their research.”

While most of the collection comes from the holdings of the Sedro-Woolley Museum, some of the material comes from the private collections of Sedro-Woolleyans themselves. For example, these fantastic photos from a community member, which depict the city’s businesses, buildings, community events, and local landmarks throughout the 1920s, 30s, and 40s. When the owner heard about the Library and Museum’s digitization project he enthusiastically offered up his collection for scanning.  “Most of these photos have not been seen by anyone (other than the donor) for years,” said Carolyn Freeman, Director of the Sedr0-Woolley Museum.

Additional collection highlights include:

• Photos depicting the grounds, building, and staff at Northern State Hospital.
• Early images of the downtown Sedro-Woolley business district.
• Logging and lumber industry photos.
• Materials documenting the 1914 robbery of Sedro-Woolley’s First National Bank.
• A collection of glass lantern slides from Sedro-Woolley’s Dream Theatre.
• Early Sedro-Woolley School System photos.

Sedro-Woolley’s City Hall, 1937.

The Sedro-Woolley Public Library and Sedro-Woolley Museum join more than 65 cultural institutions throughout the state that have digitized material with assistance from the Washington Rural Heritage initiative. These collections include historic photos, texts, objects & artifacts, and audiovisual materials that were, in some cases, relatively inaccessible.  To date, Washington Rural Heritage has published 21 collections including more than 10,000 unique items which document local history from every corner of the state.

Staff at the Whitman County Library, a Washington Rural Heritage participant, have been hard at work this summer and fall adding almost 200 more items to the Whitman County Heritage digital collection.

Many images of natural disasters in the region — including the Palouse River Flood of 1910 and the aftermath of the 1980 Mount Saint Helens eruption —  are now accessible online, as well as early images from the very small communities of Ewan and Revere, Washington, west of St. John.

The  Athenaeum Club and the private collection of Bob Bowen have also become sources of historic images and material for Whitman County Heritage this year, contributing to an already wonderful and rich digital collection. We salute Patti Cammack and staff of Whitman County Library for their continued effort in providing access to these important resources through the Washington Rural Heritage project.

On the eve of the second World War in 1941, Ellensburg city engineer and amateur photographer Fred L. Breckon began a multi-year pursuit documenting men and women of his town through his camera’s lens. An astoundingly ambitious project, Breckon made many of these photographs during his lunch break on the sidewalks of downtown Ellensburg. These images, along with detailed biographical notes on his fellow townspeople, amount to a documentary series of almost 1300 photographs.

Ellensburg Public Library has also been hard at work through the support of a 2010 Washington Rural Heritage grant digitizing another historically rich collection of Buildings, Businesses, and Schools in Ellensburg and the Kittitas Valley. Images date between 1904 and 1969, many of which also made by Fred Breckon.

A hearty congratulations to Carol Rich,  Milton Wagy, and everyone at the Ellensburg Public Library for their sustained dedication and contributions to Washington Rural Heritage! Be watching for more wonderful photos and documents from Ellensburg in the coming months.

From the desk of Evan Robb

A collection of historical photographs documenting the community of Prosser, Washington is now available online thanks to a partnership between the Prosser Branch of Mid-Columbia Libraries and the Benton County Museum & Historical Society. Funded by a 2010-2011 Washington Rural Heritage grant from the Washington State Library, the Prosser Heritage Collection documents the early days of this important agricultural center on the Yakima River.

Project partners chose to focus on several thematic sub-collections for this round of digitization: Women in the Valley, Downtown Prosser, Rural Schools, and Dry Land Farming & Homesteading.  Some highlights from the collection include:

• Sheep on summer pasture in the mountains.
• Hans Smith combining on Horse Heaven in 1907.
• Prosser High School boys basketball team.
• Hauling water from the county well, Horse Heaven, 1900.
• Wheat harvest at Anderson Ranch on the Rattlesnake Hills.
• 1902 Prosser High School production of “The Merchant of Venice”.

Prosser Heritage marks the 20th digital collection published by Washington Rural Heritage, an initiative of the Washington State Library providing small and rural libraries with the technical infrastructure to both digitize and serve unique historical collections to a widespread audience. More than 60 cultural institutions throughout the state (including 25 public libraries) have contributed material to the project, which currently includes over 10,000 individually digitized and cataloged resources. These include historic photos, texts, objects & artifacts, and audiovisual materials that were formerly hidden or relatively unknown. A number of participating libraries have also facilitated the digitization of unique materials residing in the private collections of community members–important documents which may have otherwise been lost to time, or remained virtually inaccessible.

Additional collections are slated for publication this fall, and seven libraries are currently working on grant funded digitization projects through summer 2012.  To find out more about participation in Washington Rural Heritage, contact Evan Robb, Project Manager at [email protected], (360) 704-5228 or Ross Fuqua, Digital Projects Librarian at [email protected], (360) 570-5587.

     Joshua Elmer and son, circa 1903

From the desk of Evan Robb

The Washington Rural Heritage initiative is pleased to announce a new digital collection: Odessa Heritage. A project of the Odessa Public Library in partnership with the Odessa Historisches Museum, the collection tells the story of the pioneering families in southwest Lincoln County whose efforts transformed a rugged  section of Washington into the second most productive wheat-growing county in the U.S.

The project began earlier this year when State Library staff performed on-location digitization of items at the Odessa Historisches Museum. Highlights from the digital collection include:

• A stunning collection of century-old photographs by Joshua Elmer, a local professional photographer who documented many of Southwest Lincoln County’s working farms and farmers. The collection includes Elmer’s linen-mounted panoramic photos and also depicts aspects of his family and home life (Elmer’s entire family was involved with the photography business).
• Historisches Museum barn collection: Photos of one-of-a-kind vehicles, agricultural implements, objects, and artifacts unique to the Odessa area.
• Material cataloged by Odessa High School students. An exciting aspect of this project has been involvement from local students who visited the Odessa Historisches Museum, researched specific materials, interacted with Museum staff and local researchers, and drafted item descriptions for the digital collection. See their “bylines” in the Notes field of these records.

Shepherd’s lunch box

Following this initial project, the Odessa Public Library landed a grant from the Washington State Library to continue building the Odessa Heritage Collection. Throughout 2011-2012, the Library will be digitizing additional material in collaboration with the Odessa Historisches Museum; Odessa High School; local independent researchers; and members of the Big Bend chapter of the American Historical Society of Germans from Russia (AHSGR).

Congratulations and a big thank you to: Julie Jantz of the Odessa Public Library, for managing the project; Dr. and Mrs. John Gahringer of the Odessa Historisches Museum, for their fantastic interpretation of Museum materials during our visit; Museum board member Paul Scheller for his photography assistance; and local historian Marge Womach for her many hours of research consultation.

Finally, if this online collection has whet your appetite for local history, go learn more in person.  Odessa’s well known (and 41st annual) Deutschesfest is right around the corner!

From the desk of Evan Robb

Congratulations to the latest group of Washington libraries who will be awarded LSTA grants through the Washington Rural Heritage initiative:

• Asotin County Library.
• Connell Branch, Mid-Columbia Libraries.
• Ellensburg Public Library.
• Everson Public Library, Whatcom County Library System.
• Odessa Public Library.
• Omak Library, North Central Regional Library.
• Roslyn Public Library.

These organizations will be spending the next year digitizing historically significant materials from their own holdings, the holdings of partnering heritage institutions, and in some cases, privately held collections. For more details on each project, click here.

As of this writing, our 2010 group of WRH awardees are putting the finishing touches on their grant projects. Newly digitized items are steadily being added to the Washington Rural Heritage digital repository; more information will be available as these new collections go live.

Funds for Washington Rural Heritage were made available by a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. For more information, contact Evan Robb, Project Manager, (360) 704-5228.

Nice job on the part of Beth Kauer from the Benton City Library promoting their new digital collection at the recent Washington Library Association Conference in Yakima, April 6-8, 2011. Beth designed and staffed a “Spotlight on Success!” table at the conference featuring images and information from the Kiona-Benton City Heritage Collection, a project of the State Library’s Washington Rural Heritage Initiative.

To learn more about how your rural public or tribal library can get involved with the digitization of the local history resources, contact Evan Robb, Project Manager, Washington Rural Heritage: [email protected], (360) 704-5228.

The (4/29/2011) deadline is fast-approaching for this year’s Washington Rural Heritage grant applications; more information on the grant cycle is available here.

Volume 7, March 3, 2011 for the WSL Updates mailing list

Topics include:

1) WASHINGTON RURAL HERITAGE GRANT CYCLE OPENS

2) NEW SUPPORTING STUDENT SUCCESS GRANT CYCLE OPENING

3) HELP REVIEW DATABASE PRODUCTS FOR WA LIBRARIES

4) CELEBRATE NATIONAL BOOKMOBILE DAY

5) MONEY SMART WEEK IN WASHINGTON

6) FREE CE OPPORTUNITIES NEXT WEEK

Read the rest of this entry »