Black Metropolis Research Consortium Survey Initiative
The goal of the Black Metropolis Research Consortium's Survey Initiative is to inform the prioritization of preservation and access needs as well as to create preliminary descriptions of all African American primary source materials collections in Chicago that are currently inaccessible to researchers. By quantifying the knowledge of these archival collections, the BMRC can develop proposals individually and collectively that address the access needs of its members' collections on a priority basis. In addition to providing data for internal analysis, information collected during the survey can also be used to generate preliminary collection-level records, which will be available to the public through an integrated, searchable, Web-accessible database of selected survey data and notes.
The BMRC Survey Initiative will not only improve access to help preserve irreplaceable collections of African American and African related materials in its member institutions' holdings; it will facilitate a revitalization of African American studies in Chicago and beyond while also influencing the work of similar organizations and consortiums. It will also inform the development of Web-based databases of archival materials and search tools, which will help scholars and others worldwide to share information effectively and expediently.
The Survey Initiative will:
- improve public awareness of collections related to the study of African American culture and history that have limited or no means of access by research communities;
- improve research access through expanded, integrated, and networked cataloging and searching programs that will build on an assessment of the preservation, processing, and other access needs of BMRC members' holdings;
- serve as a means of outreach to members who are the custodians of at-risk manuscript and archival materials;
- provide a working system in which processing, access, appraisal, and metadata problems can be investigated and where different solutions can be tested and refined;
- provide the BMRC membership with a set of "best practice" recommendations for the arrangement and description of each collection, all of which will be required for inclusion in the consortium' digital finding aid portal;
- expand the BMRC's role as a facilitator of enriching African American resources; and
- allow the BMRC to establish through purpose and assessment the value that African American resources have within the Chicago community.
Black Metropolis Research Consortium Awarded Mellon Grant
The BMRC is pleased to announce that we have received a $497,364 grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to implement a consortium wide survey initiative our member institutions as well as various collections held by community based African American organizations and creators.
The BMRC will initiate a three-year consortium wide survey of all member collections related to African American history. This survey and assessment of African American primary resources will inform the prioritization of preservation and access needs and create preliminary descriptions of collections previously inaccessible to researchers.
By increasing knowledge of their archival collections, BMRC member institutions can develop grant proposals individually and collaboratively that address the access needs of their collections on a priority basis. In addition to providing data for internal analysis, information collected during the survey will be used to generate preliminary collection-level finding aids, which will be made available to the researchers through an integrated, searchable, web-accessible database of selected survey data and notes.
The grant period will be from January 2009- December 2011 and will allow for the hiring of two archivists.