Press Release
March 23, 2023
Contact: Nicole Harvey
Director of Strategic Initiatives, Oklahoma Historical Society
Office: 405-522-5202
nicole.harvey@history.ok.gov
www.okhistory.org/grants
El Reno Carnegie Library Awarded Oklahoma Heritage Preservation Grant
OKLAHOMA CITY — The Oklahoma Historical Society (OHS) is proud to announce that the El Reno Carnegie Library has been awarded a grant through the Oklahoma Heritage Preservation Grant Program.
“Digitization of these important historic records will ensure that our local history is preserved and accessible to researchers and the public alike,” said Sen. Lonnie Paxton, Tuttle. “Congratulations to the El Reno Carnegie Library on receiving these grant funds.”
“I’m thrilled the story of El Reno’s territorial and early statehood days will be preserved for future generations,” said Rep. Rhonda Baker, Yukon. I’m grateful to the Oklahoma Historical Society for the grant funding to make this happen.”
El Reno Carnegie Library received $19,992 for a project titled “2023 Collections Digitization Project,” which will fund a project to digitize items from the Library’s collection focusing on urban development, local government and local events during territorial and early statehood days. Once digitized, the items will be publicly accessible and searchable online via The Gateway to Oklahoma History.
“We’re excited to have been selected to receive this funding,” said Bridget Scheffler, library director. “With it, we will be able to preserve important pieces of local history and make those items accessible to the public. Without this grant, our project would not have been possible.”
The OHS will distribute over $575,000 in grant funds, with projects ranging from collections care and strategic planning to exhibit development and educational programming.
“These grant funds continue to empower local communities to collect, preserve and share their history for future generations of Oklahomans with over 150 projects funded to date,” said Nicole Harvey, director of strategic initiatives and grants administrator for the OHS.
The Oklahoma Heritage Preservation Grant Program is a grants-in-aid program offered by the Oklahoma Historical Society to encourage the collection, preservation and sharing of Oklahoma history at the grassroots level in all parts of the state. Open to tribal and municipal governments and not-for-profit historical organizations located in Oklahoma and registered with the Oklahoma secretary of state, this grants program offers funding ranging from $1,000 to $20,000 for projects focused on collections, exhibits and programming. Applications for this annual program open in the fall and award announcements are made in January. For more information visit www.okhistory.org/grants.
The mission of the Oklahoma Historical Society is to collect, preserve and share the history and culture of the state of Oklahoma and its people. Founded in 1893 by members of the Territorial Press Association, the OHS maintains museums, historic sites and affiliates across the state. Through its research archives, exhibits, educational programs and publications the OHS chronicles the rich history of Oklahoma. For more information about the OHS, please visit okhistory.org.
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