The first quarter of 2018 has multiple grant recipients and I’m pleased to announce that the General N.B. Baker Library of Sutherland, Iowa, is the third and final one. (You can read about the first recipient, Vine Lake Preservation Trust, here, and the second grant recipient, Judy Purkiss, here.)

The General N.B. Baker Library is a public library which began development of the Northwest Iowa Historical and Genealogical Research Area in 2016. The Research Area contains books related to Iowa history and genealogy as a whole; books related specifically to the history and genealogy of O’Brien County (Iowa) and the eight surrounding counties; a digital material collection including county histories, military rosters, and diaries; and a cemetery index which includes printed obituaries for people buried in area cemeteries and those from Sutherland who are buried elsewhere. The library is now starting a new initiative to make digital copies of any photos related to Sutherland and the surrounding areas.

The grant will provide funds toward the purchase of a scanner for converting larger documents, photos and objects to a digital format.

As a reminder, you can apply for a Seton Shields grant here. Don’t miss checking out the cool projects I’ve had the opportunity to contribute to over the years, plus an article that will give you a behind-the-scenes peek into my grants program (and might help you increase your odds of being selected when you apply)!