The university of nebraska will plan the development of an accessible and usable framework for academic library support of statewide community archives

The Institute of Museum and Library Services awarded the Board of Regents of the University of Nebraska $375,560 on September 1, 2026, under the National Leadership Grants program (CFDA 45.312) to plan the development of an accessible and usable framework for academic library support of statewide community archives.

The University of Nebraska Libraries will enhance organizational knowledge and create a community archiving knowledge network across the university's library system. The project will develop and enhance existing partnerships with community organizations and research, produce, and publish a Sustainable Strategies for Community Archiving Programs in Academic Libraries toolkit that provides guidance for both archival processes and strategies for digital publication. The work will prepare the university libraries to increase support for communities seeking to steward local collections and preserve community memory, including infrastructures for providing sustainable digital access to community materials.

The project runs through August 31, 2028, with place of performance in Lincoln, Nebraska.

The goal is to enhance organizational knowledge and create a community archiving knowledge network across different areas of the university of nebraska libraries. The project hopes to develop and enhance existing partnerships with community organizations; and research, produce, and publish a sustainable strategies for community archiving programs in academic libraries toolkit with guidance for both archival processes and strategies for digital publication. This work will prepare the university of nebraska libraries to significantly increase their support of communities that seek to steward local collections and preserve community memory, including infrastructures for providing sustainable digital access to community materials.