By: Taylor Bowden / Assistant News Director

The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) recently awarded a grant worth $21,444 to the Stearns History Museum for updating their archival cataloging system.

The Stearns History Museum holds hundreds of thousands of photos, oral histories, Works Project Administration interviews, and family histories. The new cataloging system will allow users to find and sort out material much easier than before.

Over the next year the extremely timely project will move the old data to the new system.

Director of Archives at the Stearns History Museum Steve Penick said that with the onset of COVID-19 limiting in-person visitation, this project is extremely timely. He added that they want to make sure that patrons can find their history wherever they are, and this new system will allow that to happen.

Once the data is completely moved over to the new system, the public will be able to access and order information and materials through a secure online platform.

To stay connected with the museum and the current projects you can follow them on their
website, stearnsHistoryMuseum.org, or follow them on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.