Bulebosh WAPL Presentation, May 2008

Big Streets in a Little CityBig Streets in a Little City

Kiel Public Library’sKiel Public Library’sLSTA digitization projectLSTA digitization project

January – December 2007January – December 2007

Actually, our project began Actually, our project began much earlier than 2007much earlier than 2007

It’s nice when a comprehensive & It’s nice when a comprehensive & well organized local history well organized local history collection drops in your lapcollection drops in your lap

Meet Ed Majkrzak, author, former library trustee, and historian extraordinaire

KPL’s Edwin J. Majkrzak Historical Research CenterDedicated April 2006

Ed, author of History of Kiel (1992), gave to us …

• More than 100 carefully organized notebooks filled with original documents, vintage photos and newspaper clips

• His indexed local obituary collection (He adds to it several times a week)

• More than 100 enlarged and framed photographs. He gets the frames from St. Vincent de Paul. We rotate the photos every few weeks

We nominated Ed for a We nominated Ed for a WLA Citation of Merit WLA Citation of Merit

Award …Award …

… … which he won in November, 2005which he won in November, 2005

Ed’s WLA write-upEd’s WLA write-up2005 Citation of Merit Award Winner

Kiel historian Edwin Majkrzak has been described as the pilot light of the Kiel Public Library.   An active and committed library trustee until his retirement in mid 2004, Majkrzak has spent decades volunteering his time, his expertise in local and regional history, his knowledge of appropriate archival procedures, and his prescient understanding of the importance of document preservation to assist KPL in safe-guarding local history. 

Library Director Nanette Bulebosh said of Mr. Majkrzak, "Because of all his work, undertaken at his own initiative and diligently maintained despite physical handicaps, the library is able to provide to the public this community’s remarkable story.”

April 2006: Formal dedication of the Edwin J. Majkrzak Historical Research Center

Our grant processOur grant process

Attended a “how to” digitization workshop in Attended a “how to” digitization workshop in June 2006 (it really helped)June 2006 (it really helped)

Formed a local committee to plan our project, Formed a local committee to plan our project, come up with a name (“Big Streets in a Little come up with a name (“Big Streets in a Little City”), and start drafting the grantCity”), and start drafting the grant

Sought help from local historical society, Sought help from local historical society, newpaper editor (for access to their archives), newpaper editor (for access to their archives), and trusteesand trustees

More on our grant process More on our grant process

We constantly communicated our progress to We constantly communicated our progress to the community via news releases and website the community via news releases and website postingspostings

Shared our progress with Sally Drew & other Shared our progress with Sally Drew & other DPI staff; they were enormously helpfulDPI staff; they were enormously helpful

So were our friends at the Manitowoc-Calumet So were our friends at the Manitowoc-Calumet Library System. They shared their successful Library System. They shared their successful application templates and critiqued our application templates and critiqued our application before we submitted itapplication before we submitted it

Writing the grant applicationWriting the grant application

Allow yourself plenty of time to develop your abstract, Allow yourself plenty of time to develop your abstract, goals, budget, timeline, and publicitygoals, budget, timeline, and publicity

LSTA committee looks carefully at the budget sectionLSTA committee looks carefully at the budget section Have you planned for all contingencies?Have you planned for all contingencies? What is the source of your matching funds? Be sure What is the source of your matching funds? Be sure

to include staff time (benefits and wages)to include staff time (benefits and wages)

DPI’s online form (which you must use) is not exactly DPI’s online form (which you must use) is not exactly user-friendly. Plan for things to go wronguser-friendly. Plan for things to go wrong

Make sure you meet the deadline!Make sure you meet the deadline!

Then we waited …Then we waited …

We got the good news in October in the form of We got the good news in October in the form of a nice letter from the DPI and a comprehensive a nice letter from the DPI and a comprehensive critique of the our application. critique of the our application.

They told us our strengths and weaknesses They told us our strengths and weaknesses (which will be very helpful when we do this (which will be very helpful when we do this again)again)

Letter from DPI Secretary Burmaster came a few Letter from DPI Secretary Burmaster came a few weeks laterweeks later. .

All recipients attend an orientation workshop at UWDC headquarters in Madison

Each library is assigned a UWDC mentor Jessica (center) helped us through every step in the process.

The UWDC tour included a look at Memorial Library’s high-tech equipment. UW students do most of the scanning.

Another one of UW’s powerful scanners.

We were told to label and number our items very thoroughly.

They kept our items for several months .

They took good care of all of it. They were very sensitive about our strong attachments to some items.

““Big Streets” made its debut” made its debut in October 2007 in October 2007

• We provided easy access via our websiteWe provided easy access via our website

• We publicized the collection in local mediaWe publicized the collection in local media• Asked for public’s suggestions & correctionsAsked for public’s suggestions & corrections• We’re still getting them …We’re still getting them …• … … from all over the country and even overseasfrom all over the country and even overseas

“Big Streets” is not only a wonderful resource for local historians, students and library staff. It has also become an important outreach venue for the Kiel Public Library. People contact us from all over the world …

• to comment on a photo of a relative : “That’s my Uncle Hugo!”

• to correct our descriptive information: “You misspelled Uncle Hugo’s name.”

• to ask for more information: “Do you have a copy of Uncle Hugo’s obituary?”

• to ask about our resources: “What else do you have on my family?”

• to express interest in the library and the Kiel community: “So, if I stopped in, could you help me with my genealogy?”

This is exactly what we hoped would happen!

Henry Ammann Cigar Factory, 1910-1920

Kiel 3rd grade boys, 1913

Big Streets in a Little CityBig Streets in a Little CityDowntown Street Scenes in Downtown Street Scenes in

Kiel, 1860-1980Kiel, 1860-1980

www.kiel.lib.wi.us