Press Release
March 28, 2023
Contact: Nicole Harvey
Director of Strategic Initiatives, Oklahoma Historical Society
Office: 405-522-5202
nicole.harvey@history.ok.gov
www.okhistory.org/grants
Southern Prairie Library System Awarded Oklahoma Heritage Preservation Grant
OKLAHOMA CITY — The Oklahoma Historical Society (OHS) is proud to announce that the Southern Prairie Library System has been awarded a grant through the Oklahoma Heritage Preservation Grant Program.
“Making the Altus Times/Times-Democrat newspaper available and searchable online will be a wonderful addition to the resources that highlight our community,” said Sen. Brent Howard, Altus. “This will be a vital tool for researchers and educators to learn and understand our rich history.”
“Congratulations to the Southern Prairie Library System on receiving this grant,” said Rep. Gerrid Kendrix, Altus. “Having this newspaper online and free of charge is a wonderful way to share and engage the public with our local history.”
The Southern Prairie Library System received $20,000 for a project titled “Altus Times/Altus Times-Democrat Newspaper Digitization Project,” which will help fund the digitization of 280 microfilm rolls of the Altus Times/Times-Democrat newspaper from December 1964 to December 2021. Thanks to copyright permission from the publisher, the digitized items will be fully searchable and added to the Oklahoma Digital Newspaper Program on The Gateway to Oklahoma History.
“The Southern Prairie Library System is eager to work with our partner, the Western Trail Historical Society, on the Altus Times newspaper digitization project that has been funded through the Oklahoma Heritage Preservation Grant Program,” said Katherine Hale, executive director. “Both partner organizations, along with their constituents and patrons, will benefit greatly from the historical and genealogical research contributions that will be available when completed and will continue to be easily accessible online for future generations. This project will create a legacy collection of local history, heritage, culture, social structures and economic development initiatives. We thank the Oklahoma Historical Society for making it possible in southwestern Oklahoma.”
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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