The CLIR grants team has been busy so far this fall, participating in conferences, launching new opportunities, and supporting innovative projects:
Events
Program officers Sharon Burney and Alyson Williams represented the CLIR at the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) conference in Pittsburgh, which focused this year on “African Americans in the Arts.” This annual conference highlights the achievements and struggles of African Americans across various art forms, from music and visual art to literature and performance, creating a space for both scholarly discussion and community engagement around the impact of Black art in shaping American culture.
In October, Sharon will participate in the HBCU Library Alliance 10th annual meeting, which brings together HBCU library professionals to collaborate on preserving and providing access to historical collections. Sharon will participate on a panel focused on funding opportunities, where she will discuss CLIR’s regranting opportunities for CLIR’s Recordings at Risk and Digitizing Hidden Collections programs. This meeting is a critical forum for sharing best practices and building partnerships to support the rich history and cultural heritage held in HBCU libraries.
In November, members of the CLIR team will attend the Association of Tribal Archives, Libraries, and Museums (ATALM) conference, where tribal cultural institutions come together to share knowledge and strengthen Indigenous cultural heritage preservation. CLIR will also be present at the Association of Moving Image Archivists (AMIA) annual meeting in December. AMIA focuses on the preservation and access of moving images, providing an essential forum for discussing innovations and challenges in archiving audiovisual materials.
This continued presence at key conferences highlights CLIR’s commitment to supporting diverse cultural heritage initiatives across multiple communities and disciplines.
Digitizing Hidden Collections: Amplifying Unheard Voices
The Digitizing Hidden Collections: Amplifying Unheard Voices grant program is currently accepting initial proposals, with submissions due by October 30, 2024. This program offers an opportunity to support the digitization of collections that have been historically underrepresented or overlooked. The second cohort of grant recipients for this program will be announced next month, highlighting the continued effort to bring hidden cultural heritage to light.
To learn more please visit: DHC: Amplifying Unheard Voices.
Recordings at Risk
Twenty-six projects have been awarded grants through the latest round of the Recordings at Risk program, which supports the preservation of endangered audio and visual materials. These projects focus on rescuing a wide range of culturally significant recordings, including oral histories, historical radio broadcasts, musical performances, and other audiovisual collections that are at risk of being lost due to deterioration. The grants will help digitize and preserve these materials, ensuring that they remain accessible for future generations. The next cycle of the Recordings at Risk program will open in January 2025, continuing the effort to safeguard our audiovisual heritage.
For more information, you can read about the selected projects here.