Medina county district library, in collaboration with local historical societies, will increase staff hours, enhance its digitization lab, and embed library staff in local societies to inventory…

The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) awarded $100,000 to the Medina County District Library through the National Leadership Grants program (CFDA 45.312) on September 1, 2025, for a project extending through August 31, 2027. The project will increase library staff hours and enhance the digitization laboratory to support collaborative efforts with local historical societies in Medina, Ohio. Key deliverables include an inventory of historical collections, development of digitization plans, and execution of the digitization process following archival best practices. The project will leverage artificial intelligence tools to streamline digitization efforts and make all digitized content publicly accessible through the "Medina County Memory Project" website.

Community engagement will be facilitated through social media, scan-a-thons, and educational programs to encourage public participation in the digitization initiative. By embedding library staff within local historical societies, the project aims to strengthen institutional capacity and enhance access to historical records for the public. This award aligns with the National Leadership Grants program's objective to generate replicable practices and collaborative models that advance knowledge within the library and archival professions while delivering tangible benefits to the American public.

Medina county district library, in collaboration with local historical societies, will increase staff hours, enhance its digitization lab, and embed library staff in local societies to inventory collections, develop digitization plans, and execute the digitization process. To improve access to historical records, the project will follow best practices in archival description and digitization, while using AI tools to streamline efforts. Community engagement will be encouraged through social media, scan-a-thons, and educational programs. All digitized content will be made available to the public through the "medina county memory project" website.