HSP is pleased to announce that it has been awarded a grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation in support of Phase III of its Hidden Collections Initiative for Pennsylvania Small Archival Repositories (HCI-PSAR). 

HCI-PSAR is a three-phase project to make better known and more accessible the largely hidden collections of the numerous small, primarily volunteer-run archival and manuscript repositories in the Philadelphia area, including local historical societies, small museums, historic sites, and other institutions.

“We’re excited to be continuing with this important project," reports Project Director Jack McCarthy. "In Phases I and II we were able to bring to light over 1,000 previously hidden collections in 130 small repositories. We will continue this work in Phase III, while including a broader range of repositories and offering them various programs and services to enhance their stewardship of their collections. We will also be promoting the project as a national model for uncovering hidden collections in small repositories.” 

The funding will allow HSP to continue bringing to light significant, underutilized archival resources in these repositories and will support development of a self-sustaining community of practice among the region’s small archival institutions.

Phase III will run from November 2014 through April 2016. Project staff will continue identifying area small repositories, writing descriptions of their archival collections for inclusion in an online catalog, and providing the participating repositories with assessment reports on their collections. The scope of the project will expand in Phase III to include more types of repositories with significant archival holdings, such as churches, fraternal and ethnic organizations, and community groups.

Additionally, project staff will offer training programs, foster information-sharing opportunities, and work to create sustainable advances in professionalism and capacity among small archives in the region. Project staff will also promote HCI-PSAR as a national model, presenting on the project at professional conferences and working with archivists in other parts of the country to develop small repository initiatives in their areas.

Follow the adventures of Project Surveyors for the Hidden Collections Initiative for Pennsylvania Small Archival Repositories as they visit historical societies, museums, historic sites, and other small archival repositories in the five-county Philadelphia area.