Diversifying Access to the Local Historical Record with Community Webs

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Community Webs partners on the NEH supported, Increasing Access to Diverse Public Library Local History Collections
Partners on the NEH supported, Increasing Access to Diverse Public Library Local History Collections

Since 2017, Community Webs has partnered with public libraries and heritage organizations to document and diversify the historical record. These organizations have collectively archived over 100 terabytes of web-based community heritage materials, including more than 800 collections documenting the lives of those often underrepresented in history. In 2023, Community Webs began offering collection digitization and access with support from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC). Today, Community Webs is happy to announce $345,000 in additional support from the National Endowment for the Humanities to digitize and provide open access to more than 411,000 local history collection items from seven Community Webs phone number database partners: Athens-Clarke County Library, Belen Public Library, District of Columbia Public Library, Evanston History Center, Jersey City Free Public Library, San Francisco Public Library, and William B. Harlan Memorial Library.

Community Webs partner collections include a diverse range of content from across the country representing the life of immigrants, Black, and minority communities throughout US history. This includes records created by and for them, such as the Julius Hobson Papers from District of Columbia Public Library, the Belen Harvey House Collection from Belen Public Library, and the Local and Regional Family Histories collection from the William B. Harlan Memorial Library.

ACE Newsletter, Vol. 1, No. 3, Julius Hobson Papers on Federal Job Discrimination
ACE Newsletter, Vol. 1, No. 3, Julius Hobson Papers on Federal Job Discrimination (source)
The collections also contain items that document city and municipal agencies that significantly impact minority communities.