diglib: NWACC and other grant funding

[Robert Felsing <felsing@OREGON.UOREGON.EDU>]

        Aside from NWACC, this is my reading of several other funding
possibilities.  NSF funds digital libraries but usually requires a
technology component  (which I take to mean something innovative of the
computer science type).  The University of Virginia has a NEH challenge
grant --- NEH doesn't seem to mind if a project is practical).  Two other
grants that I know:  approximately 1 1/2 years ago a consortium of
midwestern libraries received a federal grant to collect Asia web links and
catalog them.  This grant was for $700,00, and I haven't heard anything
since.  The same goes for a grant at the University of Heidelberg (also the
equivalent of $700,000 US) for a Chinese (Sinological) project aimed at
classical studies.  Although I can't remember the parameters (maybe someone
knows?) LC's American Memories program is to become less American.  Simply
keeping tabs on grant opportunities is no mean feat.

     One thing we might do (and set aside till the time arises) is compile a
list of interesting target materials for digitalization or projects related
to digitalization.  For example, we have a very fine collection of old
travel books.  There is an extraordinary amount of extremely interesting
material published on women (check out the Dewey collection).  Rather than a
single huge flashy grant, we might consider a galaxy of projects that,
web-like, interlink into a fullscale library.  For example, e-Asia has and
will digitize books about women; we've digitized travel accounts, etc.
These materials could automatically be included into any collection that is
nongeographical in scope as a "seed".  For example, we are digitizing a book
about Japan written by a woman (1920's) from the Eugene Bible University.
I've never heard of EBU, but  I can think of about five specialty
collections that this item could fit into.  We will also do John Dewey, the
educator, writing on China and Japan; Bertrand Russell on China.

  The advantage of a project galaxy is that some will succeed, some won't
thrive; some won't even get off the ground -- but like the Web, the loss of
a few nodes will not deter the larger library.  We may wish to take on
projects from other institutions -- if they pay us for the cost we incur and
give us the right to hold a copy for our own collection.  All libraries have
special collections, for example, and some of these libraries may actually
wish to migrate to a digital library but lack the expertise or the
equipment/time/staff. etc.  A digital library is one of those rare things:
a win-win situation that elicits meaningful collaboration since the tasks
are so huge.

We can at any time become a digital publisher (that's *exactly* what it is
that we are doing right now) for individuals/groups/departments.  After all,
there is a Knight Library Press, and we can be a fine digital press (by
using only the best electrons money can buy).  If we wish to market low-cost
digital books, that's possible.  If Stephen King can market digital books,
why not Barry Lopez?  Why do high-cost printing of conference materials that
looks cheap and cheesy?  We can definitely do a digital proceedings for less
since the material is already in a wordprocessor format and, as a bonus,
actually make it look appealing.  

Regards,

Bob Felsing