The Colorado State Library is pleased to announce the launch of the CVL Collections program. This program was created to help libraries and cultural heritage organizations that want to share digital collections like yearbooks, photos, and oral history recordings online, but don’t have the resources to support a content management system (CMS) locally, and are not part of a large consortium that hosts a digital archive.
CVL Collections
Through CVL Collections, the Colorado State Library will create and host an online digital repository for library, museum, and archive collections using Omeka, an open source content management system. CSL staff will work with participating organizations to create a branded Omeka site, as well as provide training and ongoing support. Participation in the CVL Collections program is FREE, but that isn’t even the best part! Not only does CVL Collections provide a way to publish collections online, but the digital objects of participating institutions will automatically be included in quarterly harvests by the Plains to Peaks Collective, and shared with the Digital Public Library of America. That means that these collections will be discoverable by a national audience, alongside thousands of other participating institutions from across the United States.
Partners
In developing the CVL Collections program, the Colorado State Library partnered with two intrepid libraries in Southwestern Colorado:
- Pine River Library in Bayfield Colorado launched the Pine River Library Digital Archive in Spring of 2018, which features three unique historical collections, and continues to grow: Bayfield High School Yearbooks, Pine River Valley Heritage Society Oral History Collection, and The Missionary Ridge Fire 2002.
- Ignacio Community Library’s Voices of Ignacio went live in May of 2019 and showcases oral histories from longtime residents, images of early businesses in Ignacio, and more.
As of this writing, these collections can be found in the Digital Public Library of America, where educators, students, researchers, and history enthusiasts can learn about the history of Bayfield, Ignacio, and La Plata County as told by their residents in their own voices.
Digitization
If you need assistance with the creation of digital objects that can be shared online, we can help with that too! The Colorado State Library offers circulating Digital Creation Kits, which include scanners, digital audio recorders, and more!
Participation
Any library, museum, archive, agency, society, or cultural heritage organization in the state of Colorado with a collection that can be made publicly accessible is eligible to participate in the CVL-Collections program. If you are ready to participate, or would like to learn more about sharing your organization’s historical collections through CVL Collections, please contact:
Marisa Wood
Collaborative Programming Coordinator
Colorado State Library
mwood@coloradovirtuallibrary.org
And visit the the CVL Collections website.
- Touring Colorado’s Collections: Pines & Plains Libraries Digital Collection - August 4, 2021
- Our New Libraries Learn Site is Here! - July 1, 2021
- Touring Colorado’s Collections: City of Thornton Archive Digital Collection - May 18, 2021