CLIR Invites Applications for Digitizing At-Risk Audio and Audiovisual MaterialsThe Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR) will begin accepting applications from collecting organizations for the digital reformatting of audio and audiovisual materials for the Recordings at Risk grant program on January 17, 2024. Generously funded by the Mellon Foundation, Recordings at Risk focuses on digitally preserving “at-risk” recorded content of significant importance to researchers and the general public. CLIR will grant awards ranging between $10,000 and $50,000 for digital reformatting projects scheduled between September 1, 2024, and August 31, 2025.
Awards will cover direct costs associated with preservation reformatting for aging audio and/or visual time-based media, undertaken by eligible organizations collaborating with experienced service providers. Eligible applicants are United States nonprofit academic, research or cultural heritage organizations, with both the applicant and collections located in the United States as a requirement for eligibility. An independent review panel will evaluate proposed projects based on their potential scholarly public impact, the urgency of the projects, the viability of applicants’ long-term preservation plans, and the suitability of the planned approach to creating accessibility.
The Recordings at Risk grant program acknowledges the importance of preserving diverse and underrepresented collections within audio and audiovisual materials. CLIR recognizes the significance of these collections that may be at risk of being lost or overlooked. CLIR invites and encourages applicants who are dedicated to preserving these invaluable recordings that embody the richness and diversity of the human experience.
The application deadline is Wednesday, April 17, 2024, with award announcements scheduled for August 2024. Prospective applicants can participate in an informal webinar on Wednesday, February 15th, 2024, at 2 PM EST. To register or for more information, visit the Apply for an Award page. To learn more about past funded projects visit the program’s Funded Projects page.
CLIR is seeking community members interested in reviewing applications for Recordings at Risk and other grant and fellowship programs. Those interested can submit their details using the Reviewer Expression of Interest Form.
For the latest updates regarding the Recordings at Risk program, visit the program website.
For inquiries or additional information, please contact recordingsatrisk@clir.org.
About CLIR
The Council on Library and Information Resources is an independent, nonprofit organization that forges strategies to enhance research, teaching, and learning environments in collaboration with libraries, cultural institutions, and communities of higher learning.
About the Mellon Foundation
The Mellon Foundation is the nation’s largest supporter of the arts and humanities. Since 1969, the Foundation has been guided by its core belief that the humanities and arts are essential to human understanding. The Foundation believes that the arts and humanities are where we express our complex humanity, and that everyone deserves the beauty, transcendence, and freedom that can be found there. Through our grants, we seek to build just communities enriched by meaning and empowered by critical thinking, where ideas and imagination can thrive. Learn more at mellon.org.
