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A series of digitization events to gather oral histories and digitize 2D items with a connection to the history of Naperville, Illinois. The project would focus on Asian immigrant communities in the city, which grew exponentially in the mid-20th century with the expansion of infrastructure and technical industries in the region but which remain underrepresented in the city’s cultural institutions. In partnership with the Naperville Public Library, and directed by community input, the applicant aims to collect, preserve, share, and reflect on the stories of Asian immigrant communities in Naperville with public digitization events and related programming. The latter would include workshops on collections care, an exhibition of collected materials, a guest lecture and community comment session, and a tour of significant local areas led by scholars and representatives from Naperville’s Asian communities.

Naperville Heritage Society will partner with Naperville Public Library to conduct public digitization sessions and programs to document and share the history of Asian immigrant communities in Naperville, Illinois. The project will: preserve the stories of community residents through oral histories and digitization of materials documenting their experiences; establish deeper relationships between the Naperville Heritage Society and Naperville's Asian immigrant communities, especially its Indian and Chinese community groups and residents; share digitized materials with the public through the Naperville Heritage Collection in the Illinois Digital Archives; offer related public programs, including a temporary museum exhibit, guest lecture and community comment session, and bus/trolley tour led by humanities scholars and representatives of local Asian communities; and identify future steps needed to effectively collect, preserve and share Naperville's history, directed by community input.