WISCONSIN VETERANS MUSEUM AWARDED GRANT BY INSTITUTE OF MUSEUM AND LIBRARY SERVICES

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SEPTEMBER 18, 2014

Contact: Carla Vigue
(608) 266-0517
Carla.Vigue@dva.wisconsin.gov 

WISCONSIN VETERANS MUSEUM AWARDED GRANT BY INSTITUTE OF MUSEUM AND LIBRARY SERVICES

MADISON, Wis. (Sept. 18, 2014) – The Wisconsin Veterans Museum today announced that it has been awarded a $31,757 grant by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). The museum will use the grant to fund a project that will digitize the museum’s collection of Civil War images.

The project will take place over the next two years and will professionally digitize and preserve approximately 1,700 Civil War images. The images currently exist in a wide
variety of formats, including ambrotypes, tintypes, cartes-de-vistes, gemtypes, cabinet cards and photo albums.

“Wisconsin veterans have been serving America since very early in our statehood and their stories are chronicled in the many historic photographs in our collections,” said Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary John A. Scocos. “With this grant, we
now have the opportunity to preserve these images and use them to educate visitors well into the future.”

According to Michael Telzrow, Wisconsin Veterans Museum director, the collection offers a window into the Wisconsin Civil War veteran’s experience. By digitizing the historic photographs, the museum can ensure the images will be protected from damage, preserved for future generations, and more accessible to the public. Once the project is complete, all the photos will be available for viewing online.

“Our Wisconsin Civil War veterans bravely fought for equality in our country and it is important that we honor and remember their stories and sacrifices,” says Telzrow. “Thanks to the IMLS, we can safeguard this collection so that future generations can access these important photos. This project will help the stories of our Civil War veterans live on forever.”

IMLS annually awards a variety of museum grants that support projects that create learning experiences, strengthen communities, care for collections and provide broad public access.

“Our grants are highly competitive. The Institute of Museum and Library Services enlists hundreds of library and museum professionals throughout the United States to review grant applications and make recommendations on projects most worthy of funding,” said IMLS Director Susan H. Hildreth. “Receiving a grant from IMLS is a significant achievement, and we congratulate the Wisconsin Veterans Museum for being among the 2014 IMLS museum grantees.”

The project will begin in December of this year and should be complete by March 31, 2016.

A complete list of museum recipients is available on the IMLS website at https://www.imls.gov/. For information about IMLS museum grant programs, see: www.imls.gov/applicants/available_grants.aspx.

About the Institute of Museum and Library Services
The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation’s 123,000 libraries and 35,000 museums. Our mission is to inspire libraries and museums to advance innovation, lifelong learning, and cultural and civic engagement. Our grant making, policy development, and research help libraries and museums deliver valuable services that make it possible for communities and individuals to thrive. To learn more, visit https://www.imls.gov/ and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

About the Wisconsin Veterans Museum
The Wisconsin Veterans Museum is an educational activity of the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs and is located at 30 W. Mifflin St., across from the State Capitol.

-30-

201 West Washington Avenue | Madison, Wisconsin 53707
1-800-WIS-VETS | WisVets@dva.wisconsin.gov | WisVets.com