This project is supported by a grant from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission of the National Archives.
Project Summary
During the summer of 2019 (June – September), with support from an NMU Faculty research grant, NMU archivist, Marcus C. Robyns, visited 17 Upper Peninsula heritage organizations and received 9 responses to an online survey from institutions he was unable to visit. The 26 institutions represent 79 percent of the 33 heritage institutions in the Upper Peninsula. Robyns gathered data on historical manuscript collections and interviewed staff. Interview questions focused on governance, operations, funding, and the management of digital material. Robyns inventoried historical manuscript collections, focusing on noteworthy material contributing to the documentation of Upper Peninsula history. He also identified and inventoried significant digital collections as either stand-alone items or components of larger analog collections.
With support from a National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC) Planning Grant, representatives from Northern Michigan University (NMU), Michigan Technological University (MTU), Lake Superior State University (LSSU), the Peter White Public Library (Marquette), and the Marquette Regional History Center formed a planning team to analyze the data Robyns gathered the previous summer. From this analysis and further research, the team developed the administrative structure, policies, and procedures for a collaborative Upper Peninsula digital preservation and access network, known as UPLINK (Upper Peninsula Digital Network).
The links below will take you to the Project reports. Please review and send all comments to mrobyns@nmu.edu.
Heritage Organizations Site Survey Report
Selected Site Visit Collections Inventory
UPLINK Governance and Procedures Report