The Program Committee will accept proposals that address such needs as the following:

a)  Specific projects to improve access and service by preparing collection guides or finding aids, or by cataloging holdings.  Projects that focus on cataloging or bibliographic control should clearly describe the nature of the bibliographic records, library catalog, or finding aid that will be created.  For collections of library materials, applications should justify the proposed format for the records.  Records in the MARC format, which has established itself as the most common international standard, are preferred.  Institutions proposing to create catalogs in non-standard formats, for instance those generally associated with the Micro-ISIS program, should explain their choice.  Since good bibliographic software packages are readily available, the Program Committee will not, as a rule, support costs for programming or other activities associated with creating new automated catalogs or systems.

b)  Specific projects to reformat endangered materials, particularly through preservation microfilming or digitization.

Microfilming

Projects for preservation microfilming must demonstrate local expertise in producing archival quality microfilm, including the utilization of targets and provisions for bibliographic control.  Storage arrangements for master negatives should also be described.  If the microfilming work is to be contracted to an outside firm, please provide evidence of that company's ability to meet archival microfilming standards.

For microfilming projects, please indicate whether you are willing to allow the Program itself, or an external agency identified by the Program, to prepare or to purchase (at cost) duplicate negative and positive copies of completed film for storage and consultation, but not for additional sales, within the United States.  (The response to this question will not affect the Program Committee's evaluation of the proposal.)

Digitization.

Projects based on scanning are attractive for their promise of vastly improved access to often-scarce materials.  However, digitization is a technology that is both new and complex.  Proposals to scan materials must therefore provide clear and complete workplans that address all of the following elements:

1. selection criteria for the materials to be scanned;

2. an overview of technical considerations including scanning resolution, bit depth, compression schemes, image formats, criteria for optical character recognition, etc.;

3. an explanation of descriptive and technical/administrative metadata, including the schema to be utilized;

4. plans for how the digital files will be delivered for use (via CD-ROMs, over the Internet, using the archival files or deriving delivery versions either beforehand or on the fly, etc.);

5. an indication of how the digital files will be managed and maintained through time.

For a useful planning overview for digitization projects, see Moving Theory Into Practice:  Digital Imaging Tutorial (Cornell University, 2000-2003), http://www.library.cornell.edu/preservation/tutorial.  This document is available in English, Spanish, and French.

c) Specific conservation projects, including cleaning, repair, restoration, rebinding, and rehousing of endangered materials.

d) Specific, short-term technical assistance as an element in projects to improve operations and services.  (One-time environmental assessments, evaluations of locally-produced preservation microfilm to ensure conformance to international standards, consultancies concerning norms for archival description or bibliographic access, etc.).

e) Specific training opportunities as elements of projects to improve operations and services.  (Attendance at workshops or short courses in library or archival administration, preservation, bibliographic control, electronic information technologies, etc.)

This roster is intended to suggest rather than exhaust the range of project categories and possibilities.  Potential applicants are urged to contact the Program Director to explore other needs.  All applications should indicate the programmatic goals that specific funding will support by fully describing the project's means and ends, and how the two are connected.  For instance, applicants proposing to improve access to their holdings by compiling a collection guide, and who need a computer to prepare the guide, should explain the entire context of their request rather than simply asking for a computer.

Proposals requesting funds to purchase computers should, whenever possible, provide documentation for local hardware and software prices.  The Program Committee expects that most projects will not require the most powerful computers currently on the market.  Proposals requiring special computer capabilities should fully justify the need.

The Program will not cover an institution's ongoing operating expenses.  Routine staff costs are thus not eligible for support. Grant funds may not be used to acquire new items or collections. Award funds cannot be applied to overhead or administrative expenses.

The Program is particularly concerned with preserving and improving access to scarce, unique, or endangered materials.  Small and underfunded repositories are especially encouraged to apply. Better-established institutions are urged to incorporate matching contributions within their proposals.

Grants will average between US$10,000 and 15,000.