SCHOAM - Special Collections, Historical Organizations, Archives & Museums

SCRLC's membership includes many librarians and archivists working with historical collections. To serve these members and follow our guiding principles of access, collaboration, and member engagement, SCRLC provides participation in and support for collection-focused statewide projects, as well as a specialized newsletter (see the archives below).

Historical organizations and museums are most welcome to join SCRLC as Affiliate Members to participate in SCRLC projects, make use of SCRLC services, and be eligible for SCRLC grant opportunities.

SCRLC seeks to supplement the services provided by DHPSNY. The Documentary Heritage and Preservation Services for New York (DHPSNY) is a statewide program that provides free planning and education services to support the vast network of collecting institutions such as archives, libraries, historical societies, museums, and other organizations that safeguard and ensure access to New York's historical records and library research materials. DHPSNY does not provide resources for digitization, which is something that SCRLC has prioritized as a service for members.

In addition to borrowing and using SCRLC's digitization equipment, members have access to projects including:

NYHeritage
A digital collections hosting platform with hundreds of contributing organizations around New York State. SCRLC's Digital Services Librarian will help you upload your historical materials, follow best practices, and reach a huge audience.
New York State Historic Newspapers
A website hosted by NNYLN, SCRLC's sibling council, with millions of pages of historic newspapers of New York. SCRLC can help find funding for newspaper digitization and can help get files up on the website.
The Empire Archival Discovery Cooperative
A platform hosted by SENYLRC, SCRLC's sibling council, that shares EAD-encoded findings aids from institutions of all sizes across the state. Collections benefit from increased visibility.