Libraries Join DPLA

August 2016—Marquette Libraries Join the Digital Public Library of America
Raynor Memorial Libraries has joined with archives, museums, and libraries across Wisconsin to provide free online access to their digital collections through the Digital Public Library of America (DPLA). DPLA brings together the riches of America’s libraries and cultural heritage institutions and makes them freely available to the world. More than 13 million digital resources from more than 1,900 institutions across the United States have become available through DPLA since its launch three years ago.

Students, scholars, history buffs, and genealogists from around the world will now be able to find unique materials both from Wisconsin and about Wisconsin through DPLA’s web site. Nearly 200 Wisconsin collections—representing some 400,000 records for photographs, books, maps, artifacts and other historical resources—are now part of this valuable collection. Raynor Memorial Libraries’ contribution includes (to date) more than 22,000 images, oral histories, and other archival materials from its Department of Special Collections and University Archives.

Wisconsin’s partnership with DPLA is coordinated by Recollection Wisconsin, a collaborative initiative of WiLS, Wisconsin Historical Society, Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, UW-Madison, UW-Milwaukee, Milwaukee Public Library and Marquette University. As a Service Hub, Recollection Wisconsin is the on-ramp to DPLA for the state’s cultural institutions. Funding for Recollection Wisconsin is currently provided by grants from the Nicholas Family Foundation and the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) which administers the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA).