Over the past year, our Deputy City Recorder Krystal Stevens and our Museum Director Shana Reid, have worked diligently with the mentor they were paired with through the Oregon Parks and Recreation Mentorcorp Program. They are excited to release the following press release regarding the information about the Oregon Heritage Foundation Grant they received for their project.
Willamina Museum of Local History was recently awarded $7,965 of grant funding by The Oregon Heritage Foundation to support the digitization of the collection of Willamina Times newspapers dating from 1909-1972. This grant will also fund the installation of a designated research station in the Museum. The Willamina Museum seeks to conserve local heritage while fostering a love of history throughout the community. This grant will allow the Museum to fund the preservation of a deteriorating collection of this local newspaper.
“The Willamina Museum is pleased to receive this grant award and put it towards making this collection accessible to everyone through the digitization process, and saving this valuable piece of local history,” said Shana Reid, Director of Willamina Museum of Local History. “Up to this point, this collection has not been available to the public due to its location and fragile condition. The installation of a research station in the Museum will allow this resource to be accessed by those who may not have other means.”
This project aims to consolidate the entire collection into one accessible place online. The Museum staff is also excited to announce the introduction of quarterly research events to be held on-site at the Museum. At these events Museum staff will be available to help train visitors on doing their own research and provide assistance.
Preserving the information held in the Willamina Times newspapers was urgent due to the deterioration of the physical collection. This project will have a significant impact on the ability to use it for research from anywhere in the world. At the same time, on a local level, it will be important for the community because these papers contain an enormous amount of local history that would otherwise eventually be lost.
For more information about the Willamina Museum of Local History please visit our website at https://www.willaminaoregon.gov/departments/museum/ or our Willamina Museum of Local History Facebook page