Information Management and Technology Committee (RAAC)

The Capital District Library Council invites applications for 2025 Regional Collections grants through Friday, February 28, 2025.

CDLC members are encouraged to submit proposals for various digitization projects. These projects may include contributing content to New York Heritage or NYS Historic Newspapers,  creating finding aids to be included in the Empire Archival Discovery Cooperative, or enhancing existing metadata. CDLC is also offering funding to cover one-time setup costs for joining the Empire Archival Discovery Cooperative.

All CDLC member institutions, including individual public and school libraries, are eligible to apply. Applications are welcome from recipients of current Regional Collections Grants.

This grant, supported by the New York State Basic Aid to Libraries, aims to support projects that enhance collection access or raise the profile of regional collections.

Priority will be given to projects that:

• Highlight undiscovered collections in our region
• Align with CDLC's strategic goals (see our Plan of Service)
• Have matching funds
• Are collaborative efforts between two or more CDLC members
• Encompass a complete collection
• Are submitted by first-time applicants
• Are composed of long and complete runs of newspapers that are on microfilm

Other types of proposals may be considered.

Past winners and projects are listed here: https://cdlc.org/imtc/grant_recipients

For newspapers, copyright clearance must be obtained if the title includes papers published after January 1, 1924. More information about copyright clearance can be found on the NYS Historic Newspapers tools page under “Additional Contribution Information” at https://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/?a=p&p=contribute.

If you will be a new contributor to New York Heritage or wish to join EADC, you must first contact Susan D'Entremont (susan@cdlc.org) for eligibility information and instructions about how to join the project. Also note that New York Heritage uses CONTENTdm and you must download the client software to your workstation.

Grant applicants must submit a final report describing how they expended the funds and the number of records enhanced or digitized. Libraries may be asked to describe their project in a CDLC publication or present at a CDLC event.

Applications will be reviewed by members of CDLC's Information Management and Technology Committee who will use a scoring rubric as part of their decision-making process. Recommended projects will be presented to the CDLC Board of Trustees who will approve the applications.

Contact Kari Kakeh (kkakeh@cdlc.org) with any questions about the application process.