The grant enabled the Fergus Falls Public Library to supplement and fill gaps in their collection with 13 popular titles on Minnesota history. As the "reference center" for the Viking Library System they are often called upon to locate information on Minnesota, both for local people and those far afield who reach them via telephone or e-mail and the 13 titles they received would help fill them.
Minnesota Statutes from 1982-1996 were scanned and with the help of OCR (optical character recognition) software, were made available and searchable on the Revisor's office pages of the Minnesota legislature's web site. This is the first phase of the scanning Minnesota Statutes project.
This online availability improves access to legal materials, previously available only through books. Online versions of the statutes also serve as a preservation method for these records.
The library added a total of 35 standard Minnesota history titles to their shelves. 30 books were ordered and received from the Minnesota Bookshelf. Five additional books were obtained as a result of a 10% discount given them.
25 standard Minnesota history titles were added to enhance the collection at the Morris Public Library. Several titles were replacement copies for books that had worn out.
The Will Steger foundation initiated the documentation of Will Steger's collection of journals, media and images found in a wide variety of formats and locations. A professional archivist was contracted to conduct a basic artifact inventory. The objects were then prioritized for cataloguing and digitization. The collection has been consolidated and the inventory record established. This is phase 1 of 3 for the project; "A Minnesota Hero: Preserving the Will Steger Story".
Twelve oral histories, discussing the history of psychiatry in Minnesota, were recorded in the late 1970's on audiotape. To preserve them, they were digitized, transcribed and archived along with 2 other oral histories taken in 1996. Forty years later twenty-three more interviews of senior MN psychiatric leaders were conducted, digitized and transcribed. These additional oral histories were added to the archive. A full set of the transcripts will be catalogued into the collections of the Minnesota Historical Society.
The Minnesota Statutes from the earliest territorial days of 1851 to the more recent 1981 are important historical documents which capture the development and governance history of our state. Statutes from the 1960's, 1970's, and 1980's are still relevant today for living persons, especially in reference to persons with criminal convictions. Whether the individual looking for an archived statute is interested because of direct relevance, or more indirect historical relevance, it is important that these historical documents be accessible to the public and preserved for future g
The DCL purchased 23 books from the Minnesota History Bookshelf to provide access to a more current and complete overview of Minnesota history for their patrons. Some of the books will serve as replacements for older more worn books. They were presented to the public on a featured display.
Red Lake Falls Public Library added 37 new volumes relating to Minnesota history to their collections. The Red Lake Falls Public Library is a small branch of the Northwest Regional Library in northwestern Minnesota. In this Red Lake County library, it is an ongoing and important task to increase their collection of titles of historic significance and regional interest.
The Minnesota History Bookshelf grant enabled the Jackson County Libraries to add 14 new volumes of Minnesota History to their history collections. The primary purpose in adding these new volumes is to enhance the existing collection of Minnesota history books and create a larger Minnesota collection.
The Lac qui Parle County Historical Society acquisition of 43 books created an "instant" library of Minnesota history that they did not have, which allows for convenient, on site, availability of the information.
HCHS added 29 standard Minnesota history titles to broaden public accessibility to historical resources. The grant was noted in HCHS's newsletter and in four county newspaper press releases.
WCHS added 43 standard Minnesota history titles to their collections. Notice of the new additions was posted in the annual newsletter and sent to every household in the county.
Fifty-seven standard Minnesota history titles were added to the library to broaden public accessibility. The books are available for anyone to request and check out, though some titles will "float" and stay wherever they are returned. Some books books specifically have Foley Public Library as their "home" location and will automatically be sent to Foley, no matter where they are returned.
To broaden public accessibility, KCHS acquired 32 standard history books from the MN History Bookshelf list and an additional 6 more books pertaining to MN history. The books are available at the Kittson County Museum Library.
The LeSueur Public Library purchased 60 standard Minnesota history books to be distributed to the 9 libraries in their system. These books were immediately put on display and into circulation. A brochure was created for each library branch that listed all the titles purchased with the grant. A Facebook posting further announced the availability of the newly purchased books.
The Stillwater Public Library added 27 standard Minnesota history titles to augment their collection in the St. Croix reference collection and in their circulating collection.
The Minnesota History Bookshelf grant enabled the Carver County Library to add 47 new volumes of Minnesota History to their history collections. These volumes are housed primarily at their largest branch in Chanhassen and their newest branch in Norwood Young America. The primary purpose in adding these new volumes is to enhance their existing collection of Minnesota history books for History Day students using their Chanhassen Library and to create a more accessible location of Minnesota history books for residents living in western Carver County at their Norwood Young America branch.
