August 5, 2025, Alexandria, VA: The Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR) is now accepting initial applications for the fourth cycle of Digitizing Hidden Collections: Amplifying Unheard Voices. This regranting program supports the digitization of rare and unique materials that deepen the public understanding of underrepresented communities, including people of the global majority, disabled populations, indigenous voices, LGBTQ+ communities, immigrants, displaced persons, the incarcerated, and other perspectives currently underrepresented in scholarship and media. CLIR will award grants ranging from $50,000 to $300,000 to successful applicants for projects scheduled to begin January 1, 2027. Funding is made possible through the generous support of the Mellon Foundation. 

Digitizing Hidden Collections: Amplifying Unheard Voices centers around five core values, which have played an integral role in its design and serve as guiding principles for the assessment of applications by reviewers: public knowledge, broad representation, authentic partnerships, sustainable infrastructures, and community-centered access.

Application Process
The application process has two stages. The initial application is open to eligible nonprofit collecting organizations located in the United States and Canada. The deadline for submission is October 20, 2025. Applicants whose initial proposals are selected by an independent review panel will be invited to submit a final proposal in early 2026. Information about the application process can be found on the program’s Apply for an Award page.

For media inquiries, please contact: Lizzi Albert, Community Relations Manager, lalbert@clir.org.