DURANT – The Oklahoma Department of Libraries, in partnership with the Oklahoma Historical Records Advisory Board, today announced that the Henry G. Bennett Memorial Library was awarded a “Threats to Your Collection” grant of $500 to digitize microfilm copies (1922-1997) of The Southeastern, SE’s campus newspaper.

The Southeastern Library serves the students, faculty and staff of Southeastern Oklahoma State University, but many other people in the area have ties to the institution as well, either as alumni or family and friends of students. With that in mind, that The Southeastern serves a valuable role in chronicling the life and times of the local community.

A “Threats to Your Collection” grant in 2010 allowed the Southeastern librarians to digitize and preserve their print newspapers. Digitization not only preserves the fragile newsprint but it makes searching for specific names, dates, or topics much easier.

This 2012 “Threats to Your Collection” grant will make it possible to digitize the remaining microfilm issues. Once digitized, the electronic version will be added to the library’s website for easy access from any Internet computer. All digitized issues of The Southeastern can be found on the SE library’s website at: http://homepages.se.edu/library/electronic-resources/the-southeastern/

“In presenting this grant to Southeastern’ s Library, it is our intention to help further its commitment to providing the best possible care of the historic materials in its collections,” said Susan Feller, project director for the Oklahoma Historical Records Advisory Board and development officer for the Oklahoma Department of Libraries. “We hope that these grants will facilitate increased local support for the care of historic collections held by organizations such as the Henry G. Bennett Library.”

According to Feller, the “Threats to Your Collection” grant opportunity was an outcome of a statewide survey that assessed the condition of collections held by Oklahoma’s 800 museums and libraries. The study found that almost all organizations have lost historic materials through theft, environmental damage, and other causes. “It is our goal to stem the loss of Oklahoma’s heritage by providing funding for secure storage, environmental controls, archival storage supplies, fire detection, and other projects that address threats to collections,” Feller said.

Support for the grant program was provided by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission, the funding arm for the National Archives and Records Administration. Grants totaling $50,000 were awarded to 27 Oklahoma institutions.

For more information on the Henry G. Bennett Memorial Library’s Digitization project, contact Kathryn Plunkett, 580-745-2302, or kplunkett@se.edu.