2025 Upper Midwest Digital Collections Conference and Minnesota Digital Library

Please note: This session is available to in-person attendees only and will not be streamed or recorded.

This session will explore how the Norwegian American Historical Association (NAHA) expanded access to its digital collections during a transformative year of rebranding, commemoration, and collaboration. NAHA unveiled a new visual identity and website while preparing to commemorate two significant milestones: 200 years of organized Norwegian migration and the organization’s centennial.

Key projects included an NEH-funded initiative to digitize World War II materials of transatlantic significance and a partnership with the National Library of Norway to make Norgesbrev (Norway letters) more accessible. NAHA’s archivist will discuss managing these projects, utilizing AI for transcription, engaging volunteers and students, and leveraging these efforts during a capital campaign to support the archives' future.

Please note: This session is available to in-person attendees only and will not be streamed or recorded.

In 2024, the Illinois Digital Heritage Hub (IDHH), the Illinois Hub for the Digital Public Library of America (DPLA), completed the migration of our aggregation server from a legacy system (REPOX) to an open source one created by DPLA’s Michigan Hub (Combine). In this session, the IDHH Project Coordinator will share the background and method of this project, including the successes, challenges, and lessons learned from this migration of aggregation server systems and how they can be applied to similar projects.