A new online platform offers users free access to 80,000 historical and cultural records from 60 institutions in Oregon and Washington. KLCC’s Brian Bull reports on Northwest Digital Heritage.
The Oregon Heritage Commission, the State Library of Oregon, and Washington State Library teamed up on the project. It allows libraries, museums, and cultural heritage groups to digitize and share their collections for a wider audience than they’d receive individually.
“So it’s very easy and accessible by the everyday public or researcher or historian, that wants to look for information," explained Katie Henry is coordinator for the Oregon Heritage Commission. "Being a service hub for the Digital Public Libraries of America, it’s a national platform.
"So Oregon’s great history can be accessed by people across the entire nation.”
Northwest Digital Heritage launched May 25th. Henry expected the online offerings to expand as they continue work with regional museums, historical groups, and libraries.
“Small, often rural organizations that have limited people and capacity and money to preserve their heritage collections," said Henry. "And digitization often comes up as a way to preserve archives and collections in general.
"We just want to make sure there’s a pathway for those organizations to get their collections digitized in way that actually preserves them, which is more complex than just scanning a photo.”
Participants include:
Asotin County Library
Asotin County Museum
Asotin County Public Utility District
Bainbridge Island Japanese American Community
Battle Days Museum
Blue Sky Gallery
Canyon Birders
City of Clarkston, Washington
City of Colfax, Washington
City of Ellensburg, Washington
City of Portland Archives
City of Sumas, Washington
Colfax Fire Department
Colfax High School
Denny Ashby Library
Densho
Eastern California Museum
Eastern Washington Agricultural Museum
Elijah Hasan
Ellensburg Public Library
Friends of Minidoka
Garfield County Museum
Guy Albion Historical Society & Museum
Holy Family Parish (Clarkston, Washington)
Hooper Store, The McGregor Company
Hoover Institution
Inyo County Free Library
Japanese American National Museum
Kaiser Permanente, Heritage Resources
Library of Congress
Manzanar National Historic Site
McCoy Valley Museum, Oakesdale Historical Society
Multnomah County Archives
Multnomah County Library
Museum of History & Industry (MOHAI)
National Archives and Records Administration
Nooksack Valley Nostalgia
Oregon Heritage Commission
Oregon Historical Society Research Library
Oregon State University, Oregon Multicultural Archives
Palouse Empire Fair
Pend Oreille County Library District
Pine City Historical Society
Portland State University
Rosalia Visitors Resource and Interpretive Center
Roy Chatters Newspaper and Printing Museum
Seattle Buddhist Temple Archives
Seattle Japanese Language School
Seattle Nisei Veterans Committee
Seattle Public Library
Spokane Public Library
Staley Museum
State Library of Oregon
Sumas Historical Society Museum
Sumas Senior Center, Sumas, Washington
Sumas, Washington City Hall
Tekoa Museum
Town of Farmington
United States. Natural Resources Conservation Service. Washington
UW Nikkei Alumni Association (UWNAA)
Vineland Cemetery (Clarkston, Washington)
Washington State Library
Whatcom County Library System
Whitman County Library
Whitman Hospital and Medical Center
Wing Luke Asian Museum
Yakima Valley Libraries
Yakima Valley Museum
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