November 3, 2025, Alexandria, VA: The Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR) is now accepting applications for the thirteenth cycle of Recordings at Risk. The Recordings at Risk regranting program funds the preservation of rare and unique audio and audiovisual content on degrading or obsolete time-based media such as magnetic tape, wax cylinders, wire recordings, or early film (with or without sound). CLIR will award grants ranging from $10,000 to $60,000 to successful applicants for projects scheduled to begin September 1, 2026. Funding is made possible through the generous support of the Mellon Foundation.
Recordings at Risk encourages professionals who may be constrained by limited resources and/or technical expertise to take action against the threats of degradation and obsolescence. The program aims to help organizations identify priorities, develop practical strategies for digital transformation, build relationships with partners, and raise awareness of best practices.
Application Process
The Recordings at Risk application is open to eligible nonprofit collecting organizations located in the United States and Canada. Proposals are evaluated by an independent review panel using four primary criteria: the potential public impact of the project, the urgency of undertaking reformatting to avoid risk of loss, the viability of the work plan for preservation, and the approach to legal and ethical concerns affecting access. The submission deadline is February 24, 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.
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.