In 2011, Wisconsin Library Services and Wisconsin Heritage Online collaborated with the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction Division for Libraries, Technology, and Community Learning, the Wisconsin Historical Society and the Wisconsin Federation of Museums on a Connecting to Collections planning grant supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). The partners worked with the Midwest Art Conservation Center to conduct a study to assess the current conservation and preservation needs of Wisconsin libraries, museums, historical societies, and other collecting cultural institutions. The final report submitted to IMLS summarizes the findings of the study and recommends a practical, prioritized plan of action to protect the cultural patrimony of Wisconsin.

If you're planning a digitization project, it's an excellent time to assess the current condition of the physical items you'll be digitizing, rehouse items as needed, and establish a plan for regular inspection of storage areas. Remember that the digital files you're creating need preservation as well to ensure they will be accessible in the future. You can read more about recommendations for storing and maintaining digital content on the Digital Preservation page of the Wisconsin Heritage Online wiki.

Interested in starting a digital project but don't have the equipment you need? If your organization is an affiliate of the Wisconsin Historical Society, you're eligible to apply for a grant of up to $700 from the Society and the Wisconsin Council for Local History. Many local history organizations have used these funds to acquire computers, scanners, digital cameras and digital storage hardware.

The application deadline is June 1, 2012. More information and an application form are available online. Feel free to contact WHO staff to discuss equipment recommendations before you apply.

Developed by DPI's Resources for Libraries and Lifelong Learning, Found in Wisconsin is a growing index of digital collections containing information about Wisconsin or by Wisconsin authors. This directory is a valuable companion to the Wisconsin Heritage Online portal because it includes listings for all of the digital collections available through WHO as well as collections in other formats, including many local history publications available through Google Books.

The history of radio at Beloit College dates back to 1907, when physics professor Charles Culver installed a "radio telegraph assembly” on campus in order to experiment with transmitting radio signals. In 1924, the college radio station made its first live broadcast. The station continues to operate today as WBCR, 90.3 FM. The photos and documents in the College Radio History Collection tell the evolving story of Beloit College's identity on the airwaves.

The University of Wisconsin Digital Collections Center continues to digitize local history materials for the State of Wisconsin Collection. Recent additions include photographs and documents from Ozaukee County, Kenosha, and New Glarus. These projects were made possible by 2011 Library Services and Technology (LSTA) grants administered by DPI's Division for Libraries, Technology and Community Learning.

New Glarus and Green County Local History
This collection focuses on the first 100 years of New Glarus's history, including narratives of the settlement and early history of the village, family records from the first church in New Glarus, tax rolls of the Town of New Glarus, old maps and plat books of Green County, the first yearbook of the New Glarus High School, and photographs of individuals and families, school groups, community organizations, events, street scenes, businesses, and agriculture. Content comes from the New Glarus Public Library, New Glarus Historical Society, and the Swiss United Church of Christ of New Glarus.

Kenosha's Lost Industries
The city of Kenosha was a major manufacturing center intertwined with regional, national and international economies throughout much of the 20^th century. Industrial scenes, plants, building exteriors and interiors, portraits of corporate owners and boards, advertising and literature about product lines, and images of company activities and events, workers and their families capture the vitality of this era. Manufacturers represented in the collection include N. R. Allen Sons, American Brass, Bain Wagon Company, Nash Motors, America Motors, MacWhyte, Pirsch, and Simmons. Images and documents come from the collections of the Kenosha County Historical Society and Museum.

Ozaukee County Local History Collection
Topics covered by this collection include personal reminiscences of growing up in Ozaukee County, reflections of local residents who served during wartime, histories of various local communities, and histories of public services and groups in those communities, including fire departments and women's clubs. This project is a collaboration of the public libraries in Random Lake, Grafton, Port Washington, and Mequon and the Eastern Shores Library System.

Has your computer ever crashed and you lost all those important files you had saved? What if the loss was spread to the contents of your entire organization? Or, have you ever gone back to a file that was a few years old and tried to open it, only to find that you no longer have the program to read the file? As most of the records we create are digital, digital preservation is essential to ensure continued access to these resources.

"File Not Found: An Introduction to Digital Preservation” will provide a basic introduction to the concept of and issues associated with digital preservation. Participants will also be introduced to the Library of Congress's Digital Preservation Outreach and Education (DPOE) Program. Minitex Bibliographic and Technical Services is pleased to sponsor this webinar at no charge to staff of Minitex participating institutions, including Wisconsin. Carol Kussmann, Collection Assistant at the Minnesota Historical Society, will present.

More information and registration for "File Not Found."

In partnership with the Wisconsin Historical Society, Wisconsin Heritage Online is offering a daylong program on digitization projects at the Marathon County Historical Society in Wausau on May 14. This workshop will provide an overview of the key elements to planning and carrying out a successful digitization project. Topics include selecting materials, copyright issues, imaging standards, metadata, digital preservation, funding and promotion. The workshop is part of the Society's annual spring series of educational workshops for staff and volunteers of local historical societies, museums and libraries.

More information and registration for "Basics of Digital Projects."

Wisconsin’s digital collections will be spotlighted at the first annual Lake Superior Libraries Symposium at Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College in Superior on June 1. A presentation by Wisconsin Heritage Online Outreach Specialist Emily Pfotenhauer and Minnesota Digital Library Outreach Coordinator Marian Rengel will provide information on digitization efforts in Wisconsin and Minnesota and highlight some of the unique materials available through the WHO portal and the Minnesota Reflections database.