Weeksville heritage center will complete a comprehensive collections inventory and increase public access both onsite and online to its collections documenting the history of weeksville, one of the…

The Weeksville Society will use this $703,414 Project Grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services' Museum Grants for African American History and Culture (CFDA 45.309) program to complete a comprehensive collections inventory and increase public access to the Weeksville Heritage Center's collections documenting the history of Weeksville, one of the largest free Black communities in pre-Civil War America. Key project activities include cataloging unprocessed collection items, improving collections storage, restructuring digital records, and digitizing high-priority collection materials. As a result, the Weeksville Society will expand public access to the collections via a public database portal, enhanced exhibition displays, and an onsite resource center with educational materials for researchers, museum professionals, and community members. The project will also fund a new collections associate position and two paid internships.

Weeksville heritage center will complete a comprehensive collections inventory and increase public access both onsite and online to its collections documenting the history of weeksville, one of the largest free black communities in pre-civil war america. For the project, staff will hire a new collections associate position and two paid interns. Project activities will include compiling existing inventories, cataloging items that are not yet accessioned, improving safe collections storage, restructuring digital records, and digitizing high-priority items. As a result of the project, staff will expand public access to the collections via a public database portal, enhanced exhibition displays, and an onsite resource center with educational resources for researchers, museum professionals, and community members.