Press release from the Indiana State Library:
Rare historical materials added to Indiana Memory
Lincoln Collection provides rare photos of 16th President
(INDIANAPOLIS, October 27, 2010) – Ten new digital collections are now available via Indiana Memory – a collaborative effort to provide access to the wealth of primary sources in Indiana libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions. Six of these collections have been made available courtesy of the Allen County Public Library (ACPL), including the much anticipated Lincoln Library Photographs. The Lincoln collection already provides nearly 150 unique images with ACPL aiming to add over a thousand more by year’s end. Many of these photographs are rare glimpses into the life of President Lincoln, his family & friends and other public officials, political associates & foreign diplomats. In addition to the Lincoln Library Photographs, ACPL has made other significant contributions to Indiana Memory that provide a deeper look into Allen County history, including Fort Wayne Fire Fighter Photographs, Fort Wayne and Allen County History & Historic Photos, Monroeville Ternet Collection, and Woodburn Historical Society Collection.
The Indiana State Library also made two additions to Indiana Memory, the William W. Dunkle Theatre and Circus Collection and Dept. of Natural Resources Historic Preservation and Archaeology Collection. Indiana University, Purdue University – Indianapolis (Conner Prairie Historic Almanac Collection) and Wabash Valley Visions & Voices (Vigo County Public Library collection) each made one contribution.
“Indiana Memory connects many of Indiana’s most historically significant collections and materials into a single search engine,” said Roberta L. Brooker, Indiana State Librarian. “This is an excellent and useful resource for students, historians, or anyone else researching Indiana history and culture.”
Indiana Memory’s mission is to create and maintain a digital library that enables free public access to Indiana’s unique cultural and historical heritage. Through information and pictures found in digitized books, manuscripts, photographs, newspapers, maps, and other digital materials available on the Indiana Memory website, the program seeks to enhance education and scholarship of Indiana’s past. As a portal to the collections, Indiana Memory assists individuals to locate materials relevant to their interests and to better appreciate the connections between those materials.
“Indiana Memory offers free and equal access to some of Indiana’s most invaluable historical materials,” said Brooker. “With over 80,000 digital items from 58 contributing partners, I encourage everyone to visit Indiana Memory often as new additions continue to increase the portal’s educational and cultural vitality.”
This Indiana Memory project is made possible through grant funding from the Institution of Museum and Library Services to the Indiana State Library under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act. The items made accessible through Indiana Memory represent a total of 128 collections from contributing institutions. If you would like to learn how your local library, historical organization or community may participate in Indiana Memory, please contact Connie Rendfeld, Indiana State Library Digital Initiatives Librarian, or visit https://www.indianamemory.in.gov/.