The new orleans jazz museum at the old U.S. Mint will modernize the louisiana colonial documents archive to ensure IT remains accessible to researchers, educators, and the public for generations to…

The Institute of Museum and Library Services awarded $1.369 million to the Louisiana Museum Foundation on September 1, 2026, under the Museums for America program (CFDA 45.301) to modernize the Louisiana Colonial Documents Archive at the New Orleans Jazz Museum at the Old U.S. Mint. The award is structured as a Project Grant.

Project activities include modernizing the digital platform to create a secure archive, transcribing and translating handwritten documents in 18th-century French and Spanish, and developing educational programs that transform archival collections into classroom-ready primary source curricula. The museum will assemble a cohort of six to eight Louisiana K-12 teachers to pilot draft lesson plans and participate in four structured sessions focused on the archive's document holdings. Work is performed in New Orleans, Louisiana. The period of performance runs through August 31, 2028. The project will result in long-term preservation of and expanded public access to a unique collection of colonial-era primary sources.

The new orleans jazz museum at the old U.S. Mint will modernize the louisiana colonial documents archive to ensure IT remains accessible to researchers, educators, and the public for generations to come. Project activities will include modernizing the digital platform to create a secure archive, transcribing and translating handwritten documents in 18TH-century french and spanish, and developing educational programs that transform archival collections into classroom-ready primary source curricula. The museum will assemble a cohort of six to eight louisiana k-12 teachers to pilot draft lesson plans and participate in four structured sessions focused on the archive's document holdings. The project will result in the long-term preservation of and expanded public access to a unique collection of colonial-ERA primary sources, promoting america's rich historical and cultural heritage.