Muhlenberg named to consortium for digital resources
Muhlenberg College was recently named one of the 42 institutions that will comprise the Council of Independent Colleges (CIC) Consortium on Digital Resources for Teaching and Research.
Thursday, July 2, 2015 02:00 PM
Through the use of a cloud-based digital platform, Shared Shelf, developed by Artstor, CIC Consortium members will increase their capacities to store, preserve and catalogue collections of digital images, documents, audio and video files and other types of materials.
The consortium will enable members to improve teaching and learning, and enhance faculty and student/faculty research on their campuses and beyond by making lesser-known or hidden collections searchable and accessible.
“Selection into this consortium comes at an opportune time for Muhlenberg College as we not only embark on new ways to enhance teaching and learning through digital pedagogies, but also as we strive to increase access to some of our treasured resources in Trexler Library,” said Tina Hertel, director of Trexler Library.
A student views a map of Lehigh County from the College's Ray R. Brennen Map Collection.
Three Muhlenberg collections will be part of the project. The Ray R. Brennen Map Collection includes maps, atlases, land deeds and books on cartography, many of which date to the late 18th century and represent the work of some of the finest mapmakers in Europe and America. The Robert C. Horn Papyri Collection consists of 36 pieces of Greek papyri, demonstrating the variety of documents found in the early 20th century excavation at Oxyrhynchus in present-day Egypt. The Muhlenberg Family Papers includes materials by and about members of the Muhlenberg Family from 1770-1850.
Thanks to generous funding by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, over the next four years, the Consortium members will have subsidized access to Shared Shelf and the opportunity to participate in three workshops. Consortium work begins this summer as teams of one librarian and one staff or faculty member at each member institution meet with Artstor's Shared Shelf implementation managers to familiarize themselves with Shared Shelf, digitize and catalogue their collections and other materials and come together to share their experiences and insights with other teams in small group webinars. The first meeting of the Consortium will take place in Washington, D.C. in September.
Founded in 1848, Muhlenberg is a highly selective, private, four-year residential college located in Allentown, Pa., approximately 90 miles west of New York City. With an undergraduate enrollment of approximately 2200 students, Muhlenberg College is dedicated to shaping creative, compassionate, collaborative leaders through rigorous academic programs in the arts, sciences, business, education and public health. A member of the Centennial Conference, Muhlenberg competes in 22 varsity sports. Muhlenberg is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
