The NYG&B has been awarded an $85,600 grant from the William G. Pomeroy Foundation to establish a second Digitization Center, as part of the NYG&B’s Digitize New York initiative to preserve and make more accessible at-risk historical records from across New York State. With this generous funding, the NYG&B can now double its digitization capacity and efforts through two physical locations: at its Digitization Center in New York City and the new Central New York Digitization Center, slated to open in Syracuse later this spring.
“We are very grateful to the William G. Pomeroy Foundation for its vital support and vision to preserve New York history for communities and researchers,” said D. Joshua Taylor, President of the NYG&B. “The creation of the Central New York Digitization Center in Syracuse is going to play an instrumental role in broadening the NYG&B’s digitization efforts and forging lasting partnerships in support of historical record preservation and access throughout the region and statewide.”
Grant funds will support a new CopiBook scanner and LIMB software at the second Digitization Center as well as outreach and engagement efforts targeting organizations that need help with preserving and digitizing their at-risk historical records.
“We are excited to be a part of this preservation project,’’ said Bill Pomeroy, Founder and Trustee of the William G. Pomeroy Foundation. “It’s a wonderful way for people throughout the Central New York region to save important historical documents so that they can be shared with future generations.’’
Once the Central New York Digitization Center is open, organizations will be able to submit projects for preservation, free of charge. Trained volunteers will conduct the digitization of records on-site. More details will be shared in the coming months.
Learn more about the NYG&B’s Digitize New York initiative, how organizations and volunteers can participate, and how additional interested donors can further support this work.
About the NYG&B
Founded in 1869, the New York Genealogical & Biographical Society (NYG&B) is a nonprofit organization that preserves, documents, and shares family history and stories from across New York State. As the second-oldest genealogical society in the United States, the NYG&B serves members both nationally and internationally through its extensive records and resources; educational programming; and landmark publications, including its scholarly journal The NYG&B Record, quarterly issues of the New York Researcher, and the award-winning New York Family History Research Guide and Gazetteer. Its comprehensive records and collections encompass genealogical and historical materials from all 62 counties in New York State.
About the William G. Pomeroy Foundation
The William G. Pomeroy Foundation® is committed to supporting the celebration and preservation of community history; and working to improve the probability of finding appropriate donor matches or other life-saving treatments for blood cancer patients. Established by Trustee Bill Pomeroy in 2005 to bring together his two greatest passions, the Pomeroy Foundation is a private, philanthropic organization located in Syracuse, N.Y. As the nation’s leading funder of historical roadside markers, the Pomeroy Foundation has awarded nearly 2,300 grants for markers and bronze plaques in 48 states and Washington, D.C. To learn more about the Pomeroy Foundation, visit wgpfoundation.org.