World War I Community Archives Project
A
digitization event, co-sponsored by the Massillon Museum and the Massillon Public Library in Ohio, to
document stories about the community’s wartime involvement in the First World
War and help the families preserve heritage materials and maintain digital
archives, which chronicle their relatives’ role in the war both at home and
abroad. Building on extensive experience digitizing photographs and other
cultural items and organizing exhibitions centered on digitized materials, the
applicant would exhibit collected heritage items and arrange related programming
such as school tours, gallery talks, and a panel discussion with scholars and
community members regarding the region’s engagement in WWI.
To prepare for an exhibition aligned with the centennial of
the US involvement in World War I, as well as to engage the community,
county-wide, the Massillon Museum plans to facilitate a digitization event
augmented by related programming. The community repositories of social,
industrial and military histories can be further mined for important
documentation that will not only elucidate existing narratives, but create new
links with fresh and relevant perspectives connecting history to our current
realities. Museum professionals will work with local experts to execute the
digitization efforts and public programs, in which patrons and citizens can
share their stories and voices to recognize the wartime involvement of men,
women, and families of Stark County residents.
As a publicly funded institution, the Massillon Museum honors its
responsibility to commemorate community members who fought in WWI, and to share
best practices for preserving both oral histories and material culture.