Connecticut Humanities, an affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, is pleased that six Connecticut organizations have received $444,397 in the latest found of NEH funding for humanities projects. These projects range from digitization of CT newspapers, to preservation and collections assessment, to historical analysis of the dangers and opportunities of technology.
August’s round of funding is NEH’s third and final round of funding for 2023. NEH has allocated $1,474,000 for CT Humanities in the coming fiscal year, which will be used within the state to fund additional grants and operations within the state.
The most recent NEH-funded projects in CT are:
Connecticut Digital Newspaper Project. Connecticut State Library, Hartford: $259,644
Digitization of 100,000 pages of Connecticut newspapers published prior to 1963, as part of the state’s continuing participation in the National Digital Newspaper Program (NDNP). This phase would focus on papers from the early nineteenth century, a Polish newspaper, and papers covering Hartford during the 1940s and ’50s.
Maintaining our Mission: Making the Past Accessible for the Future. Hartford International University for Religion and Peace, Hartford: $9,505
A preservation assessment of the Hartford International University Archives, as well as the purchase of environmental monitoring equipment and training on its use to protect archival collections.
Engineering Safety into U.S. Firearms: Inventions, Manufacturers, Outcomes, and Implications, 1750–2010. Wesleyan University, Middletown: $149,563
The historical analysis of how safety mechanisms for firearms have evolved and been marketed to consumers over time.
Preserving SCSU’s Unique Collections: Assessment, Environmental Monitoring, and Disaster Preparedness. Connecticut State University System, New Haven: $8,584
A general preservation assessment of the Buley Library Special Collections and Archives, which include 13,000 rare volumes, 250 artists’ books from small and fine presses, and materials documenting the history of Southern Connecticut State University.
Stewarding a Collection for Generations to Come: Pequot Library’s Special Collections. Pequot Library Associates, Inc., Southport: $10,000
The purchase of preservation supplies, including environmental monitoring equipment, for the library’s special collections, and a training workshop for the library’s staff and volunteers.
Preserving Local History: Developing a Collections Storage Plan. Gunn Memorial Library, Washington: $7,101
Hiring a consultant to develop a collections storage assessment for the Gunn Memorial Library & Museum and provide training in care and handling for the organization’s volunteers. The library also would purchase preservation storage materials.
