Southern Arizona libraries are receiving new federal support aimed at expanding educational programming, preserving digital and scientific collections, and connecting rural communities with new cultural resources.
Rep. Adelita S. Grijalva announced the funding Wednesday, highlighting three projects involving the Copper Queen Library in Bisbee and the University of Arizona Libraries.
The Copper Queen Library was selected to participate in the inaugural Smithsonian Rural Library Cohort, a 12-month program beginning in September. The program will provide participating libraries with free virtual Smithsonian Associates programming, support for community events and access to a professional learning network and Smithsonian experts.
Copper Queen Library Manager Jason Macoviak said the program will help the library build connections with other rural libraries while expanding opportunities for people in Bisbee and surrounding communities.
“We are honored to be selected for the inaugural Smithsonian Rural Library Cohort,” Macoviak said. “This opportunity recognizes the important role rural libraries play in strengthening their communities and will help the Copper Queen Library build new connections, share ideas, and expand opportunities for the residents of Bisbee and the surrounding area.”
The University of Arizona Libraries received $299,454 through the Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program to expand its Digital POWRR, or Preserving Digital Objects With Restricted Resources, training program.
The funding will support the creation of a five-day Digital POWRR Academy and a pilot Digital Preservation Summer Institute. The programs will provide training for library, archive and cultural heritage professionals on preserving digital materials, with a focus on organizations and workers who may have limited or nontraditional digital preservation resources.
The university also received $199,450 through the National Leadership Grants program for a project focused on preserving and managing data associated with scientific collections.
The project will examine how libraries can better curate data and metadata connected to physical samples, including rocks, fossils, biological specimens and water samples.
According to the grant description, the project will develop guidelines, training modules and data management software while gathering input from research data librarians, researchers and specimen curators. It will also include workshops and hands-on case studies aimed at improving data reuse and supporting open science in natural science fields.
“Libraries are at the heart of strong communities, and these investments demonstrate the many ways they help Arizonans learn, preserve our history, support research, and connect with the wider world,” Grijalva said. “From expanding digital preservation at the University of Arizona to bringing brand new Smithsonian programming to rural communities like Bisbee, these programs will give libraries the resources they need to continue serving Southern Arizona for years to come.”
The projects are intended to strengthen libraries not only as places to access books and information, but also as centers for research, education, cultural programming and preservation across Southern Arizona.
