The madison county historical society will preserve, digitize, and share its extensive and nationally significant collections through the development of a digital portal

The Institute of Museum and Library Services awarded the Madison County Historical Society $574,000 on September 1, 2026, under the Museums for America program (CFDA 45.301) to preserve, digitize, and share its photograph and archival collections through a new digital portal.

The Madison County Historical Society will conduct planning and infrastructure development, digitize its photograph and archival collections in full, develop the Madison County Digital History Portal with AI-powered discovery functionality and secure database integration, and launch the platform with educational programs and workshops for students and teachers. The Society will contract with a professional web developer to build the portal, which will feature searchable digital records, AI-powered discovery tools, and curated exhibits designed to engage the local community and broader audiences.

Work is performed in Oneida, New York, with a period of performance from September 1, 2026, through August 31, 2029. This is a project grant under Museums for America, which supports museums in project-based efforts to serve the public through exhibitions, educational and interpretive programs, digital learning resources, and collections stewardship activities.

Project activities will include planning and infrastructure development, full digitization of the photograph and archival collections, development of the digital portal, and public launch with educational programs and workshops for students and teachers. The project will involve contracting with a professional web developer to build the digital portal, implementing artificial intelligence (AI) functionality, and integrating the database with secure storage. The project will result in the madison county digital history portal, an online platform featuring searchable digital records, AI-powered discovery tools, and curated exhibits that engage both the local community and broader audiences.