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Library digitizes unique photos
By Brandon Siem
SCSU is leading the way for the Minnesota Digital Library Coalition (MDLC) by chronicling the first 50 years of Minnesota.
"Minnesota Reflections" is the name of the project that will digitize more than 6,000 unique photographs taken before the year 1908. The photographs to be digitized are from historical societies, libraries and individual contributors.
"We hope that people will come forward with some neat collections," said Marian Rengel, grant projects developer at the Learning Resources and Technology Services of SCSU.
The photographs can be of anything as long as they are taken in Minnesota before 1908. They may be original photos, negatives, slides or already-digitized photos. Digital versions of the photos and information about them will be put on a publicly accessible computer network to be developed by MDLC.
The collection will become more significant in 2008 when Minnesota turns 150. SCSU can lead the operation of this project because of a grant awarded for almost $300,000 by the Minnesota Department of Education.
The MDLC coalition will train other historians, archivists and librarians to digitize images and prepare the information to preserve history. The time span awarded to carry out this project is 18 months and will continue into July of 2005.
A particular interest to SCSU students are the college pictures stored in the SCSU archives.
"I would really like to see how the campus has changed over the past 100 years. It would also be cool to see how people looked back then," Dana Rock, SCSU history major said.
The SCSU campus and its surroundings have changed significantly in a short period of time and many are interested in its changes since 1908.
"It wasn't that long ago, believe or not, my parents' front steps were where the Performing Arts building is right now," Rengel said.
The SCSU community is also encouraged to bring forth any pictures that predate 1908. They can be pictures from any community and of anyone.
"We highly encourage people to bring in pictures of famous Minnesotans," Rengel said.
Federal grant funding was provided to Minnesota by the Institute of Museum and Library services and also through the Library Services and Technology Act. Additional funding for "Minnesota Reflections" came from the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system.
MDLC members include the Minnesota Historical Society, the University of Minnesota, Minnesota library information network MINITEX, the St. Paul Public Library, the College of Saint Benedict/St. John's University, Minnesota State University, Mankato State University, Winona State University and SCSU.
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