The Omohundro Institute (OI), through the Lapidus Initiative, is sponsoring its first Digital Collections Fellowship Program. The program seeks proposals from scholars at all levels, in partnership with special collections libraries and historical societies. They want to encourage scholars and institutions to undertake this work, which so often proves critical to the ability of a digital project to move forward, together. These fellowships are intended to bring scholars and collections specialists together to make collections available for digital scholarship. 2-3 fellowships up to $5,000 award will be given to the winning fellows.
The Omohundro Institute of Early American History & Culture was established in 1943 by founding sponsors the College of William & Mary and the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation.
Eligibility:
- The Omohundro Institute of Early American History & Culture seeks proposals from scholars at all levels, in partnership with special collections libraries and historical societies, for Lapidus Initiative Fellowships for Digital Collections.
- For the purposes of the application, digitization should be considered broadly. It may include (but is not limited to) the photographing of manuscripts, newspapers, graphic materials, or rare books, the scanning of index cards; the cataloging of rare materials, the enhancement of digital catalog records, or the inventorying of manuscript collections.
How to Apply:
For applying the fellowship, the candidates must complete the application for and upload the supporting documents. The link is: http://oieahc.wm.edu/lapidus/digitalcollections/submission.cfm
Guidelines:
- For the purposes of this application, digitization should be considered broadly. It may include (but is not limited to): the photographing of manuscripts, newspapers, graphic materials, or rare books, the scanning of index cards, the cataloging of rare materials, the enhancement of digital catalog records, or the inventorying of manuscript collections.
- They welcome project proposals employing materials from libraries and archives of all sizes.
Supporting Documents:
Upload the following documents that must be in MS Word or PDF. Use the recommended file-naming conventions.
- A timeline for completion of the digitization project(Last name_Timeline)
- A letter of commitment to digitize from the librarian/curator or other representatives of the special collection should the award be granted. (Last name_CommitmentLetter)
This letter must include:
- An itemized budget of the cost of digitization, including staff time.
- A summary of any other funding received for the project.
- A point of contact for any questions the committee may have.
- Recognition of the application’s timeline for completion of the project and commitment to complete the digitization within the scholar’s timeline.
- Commitment either to host the digitized material or make it available elsewhere for public access.
- A 500-wordstatement from the scholar explaining the nature of their research project, how the digitization of the collection is crucial to the research, a summary of any additional funding for the project, the scholar’s projected outcome of the work with the digitized materials, and how other scholars might benefit from the digitization of the collection. (Last name_Statement)
- An itemized budget that includes both the special collection’s budget (see #2) as well as the scholar’s travel and research fees. (Last name_Budget)
- A current c.v.(Last name_CV)
Financial Aid and Award Money:
- The fellowship will award up to$5,000 to the holding library and to the scholar whose research relies on or will be greatly enhanced by, the digitization of a collection or partial collection of materials related to early America, broadly conceived, before 1820.
- Scholars must partner with special collections libraries that will digitize the needed materials with the funds from the fellowship.
Application Deadline:
Applications should be submitted by January 9, 2017
Link for More Information:
http://oieahc.wm.edu/lapidus/digitalcollections/index.html
Contact Information:
If you have questions about this program or the application process, including how to construct a detailed budget, you can contact Martha Howard at martha.howard-at-wm.edu.
