The south carolina state museum will improve the stewardship of its collections by implementing a two-year inventory and digitization project for its archival collection

The Institute of Museum and Library Services awarded the South Carolina State Museum Foundation $1,307,936 in project grant funding on September 1, 2026, under the Museums for America program (CFDA 45.301) to complete a two-year inventory and digitization project for its archival collections in Columbia, South Carolina.

The museum will catalog, conduct condition assessments, improve storage conditions, and digitize over 4,400 archival items—primarily photographs, documents, and ephemera of significance to the state or related to other collection objects. The project team will hire two temporary assistants and purchase supplies to support museum staff in completing the inventory process. Deliverables include a plan for digitizing more complex materials and an assessment of storage and exhibit needs to inform a planned gallery renovation.

The period of performance runs through August 31, 2028.

The museum will purchase supplies and hire two temporary assistants to work with museum staff to complete the inventory process for over 4,400 items, primarily consisting of photographs, documents, and ephemera of significance to the state or related to other collection objects. The project team will catalog, conduct basic condition assessments, improve storage conditions, and digitize key materials. Project results will include a plan for the digitization of more complex materials and an assessment of storage and exhibit needs as the museum moves forward with a planned renovation of its galleries.