| PY-234009-16 | Preservation and Access: Common Heritage | Pennsylvania Highlands Community College | Families Forever: A Cambria Memory Project | 1/1/2016 - 6/30/2017 | $4,222.00 | Barbara | | Zaborowski | | | | Pennsylvania Highlands Community College | Johnstown | PA | 15904-2948 | USA | 2015 | Immigration History | Common Heritage | Preservation and Access | 4222 | 0 | 4222 | 0 | A series of community digitization events focusing on the immigrant history of Cambria County, Pennsylvania, through the collection of family photos, mementos, and artifacts. The Cambria County Historical Society, St. Francis University, the Johnstown Area Historical Association, and the Pennsylvania Highlands Community College would each serve as a scanning location and host cultural programs for the public, to include presentations entitled Healing African Dance, Pennsylvania German Groundhog Lodges, and Sevdalinka: A Musical Tour of Bosnia. In addition to the cultural heritage programming, Pennsylvania Highlands Community College in Johnstown would offer two workshops on how to handle and preserve family items using simple preservation materials readily available to the public.
Cambria County, Pennsylvania has a rich history of ethnic immigration. Families in the county have amassed historical relics brought from their native countries by grandparents and great-grandparents. In addition, there is a strong sense of family and genealogy. Many ethnic social organizations exist to keep alive the traditions of these various old world countries. This project will focus on capturing family photos, mementos, and artifacts in digital format. The digital images will be uploaded into a statewide repository, PowerLibrary, which will be a part of the Digital Public Library of America (DPLA). In order to generate interest in this project, a combination of social media, traditional print, and outdoor advertising will be used. A comprehensive series of public programs will also be offered to reinforce care and treatment of family heirlooms and the history of immigration. This project will highlight best practices and serve as a model for other organizations. |