Preservation reformatting projects are created and customized to the needs of Library staff, patrons, and of the collection(s) in question. Where needed workflows, resources, and timeframes are adjusted – all for the purpose of maintaining access, whether physical and/or digital. To date, Preservation Reformatting has overseen many projects, some spanning several years. The projects listed below are a small showcase of achievements but impactful nonetheless.
Illinois Newspaper Project (INP), established in 1987
- This project was part of a national grant, the United States Newspaper Program (USNP), to coordinate efforts with individual states, territories, and the US federal government to locate, catalog, and preserve newspapers published in the United States up to the present time. The newspapers are preserved on microfilm and adhere to nationally set standards and content filmed as a result of this project is now available to circulate through inter-library loan.
- The University Library worked with institutions across the state to catalog items found through public libraries, courthouses, historical societies, and archives. One can now search through the database created through these efforts here.
- This project laid the foundation for the National Digital Newspaper Program.
National Digital Newspaper Program (NDNP), established in 2004
- Partnership with the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the Library of Congress with the goals of accessibility and innovate newspaper content for researchers and scholars.
- NDNP in Illinois is primarily focused on building web-accessible delivery of unique content from various communities and causes from across the state.
- All newspapers digitized from NDNP awaredees throughout the country are accessible on the Library of Congress website Chronicling America.
Google Books Project, established in 2004
- Joint partnership with prominent research libraries in order to build a shared digital repository combining digitized public domain materials from each library’s individual collection into one easily accessible online resource.
- Public domain materials are available to view, search, or download while only basic information (such as title, author’s name, and a few lines of descriptive text) are provided for items protected by copyright laws. For more information see the LibGuide found here.
Biodiversity Heritage Library
- As a partnership with Internet Archive, the Biodiversity Heritage Library Collection consists of a highly curated group of works which seeks to improve “…research methodology by collaboratively making biodiversity literature openly available to the world as part of a global biodiversity community.” University Library contributions to the collection can be viewed here.
Illinois History and Lincoln Collection, established in 2018
- The Illinois History and Lincoln Collections (IHLC) preserves and provides access to both print and manuscript materials documenting the history of Illinois as well as Abraham Lincoln’s life and legacy. Preservation Reformatting assists in reforming these items in collaboration with the Library’s in-house Internet Archive unit.
- Browse IHLC’s public domain materials here.