Texas' Latest Development: A Fresh Take on the Lone Star State's News and Events.
The Texas State Library and Archives Commission has announced grants totalling $5.85 million for various projects aimed at preserving, digitising, and making accessible historical records across the state. These initiatives, funded by the Commission, are part of a broader mission to enhance the management and accessibility of Texas's rich historical records.
The Texas Historical Records Advisory Board, a key partner in these efforts, has outlined specific goals for these projects. These include enhancing archival capacities, supporting statewide planning for historical records programs, facilitating collaboration, providing training, and increasing public access to historical records.
One of the key outcomes of these projects is the preservation and management of historically significant collections. For instance, a project overseen by the Texas Historical Commission involved adding transcripts, recordings, and digitised photographs to Texas's historical collections. Other projects aim to digitise historical records, making them available to the public online, and to improve archival policies and practices statewide.
Many institutions have benefited from these grants. North Texas State University, for example, received $20,000 to assist in surveying and preparing inventories of Texas county records. The University of Texas, Austin, received $119,326 to support planning for The Texas Domestic Slave Trade Digital Edition. The University of North Texas, Denton, received $126,989 for a project to digitise and transcribe audio-visual material from The Black Academy of Arts and Letters.
Other institutions, such as the Dallas Public Library, received grants to preserve and make accessible select photographs in their collections. The Amon Carter Museum of Western Art, Fort Worth, received funding to implement an archival program and process the papers of several prominent American photographers.
The Texas State Library and Archives Commission also received grants to support the work of the Texas State Historical Records Advisory Board, as well as to provide archival and records management training and program development assistance for records custodians throughout Texas.
The total expenditure for Records Projects is $2,998,596, while the total expenditure for Publications Projects is $2,852,405. These projects reflect a commitment to preserving and making accessible Texas's historical records, ensuring they remain a valuable resource for future generations.
- The University of Texas, Austin, plans to use their grant for Career Development, as they aim to support planning for The Texas Domestic Slave Trade Digital Edition.
- Businesses and Institutions, such as the Amon Carter Museum of Western Art, Fort Worth, have received funds for Education and Self-Development, as they are implementing archival programs and processing papers of prominent American photographers.
- In the realm of Personal Growth and Learning, the Texas State Library and Archives Commission itself has received grants to provide archival and records management training for custodians throughout the state, thus promoting career development in the industry and finance sectors.
