Yellowstone Park Foundation Snares Grant to Protect Historic Collections

Nice honor: The Yellowstone Park Foundation (YPF) received a $106,000 grant from the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR) to protect historic collections at the Yellowstone National Park Archives’ Heritage and Research Center (HRC).

YPF was one of 22 national organizations to receive a grant.

The Yellowstone National Park Archives comprise manuscripts, photos, maps, films, oral histories, Park records and scientific data related to geology, ecology, tourism and the history of the American West. The grant will allow trained staff and volunteers to catalog and protect nearly 250,000 rare items from the Park, some over 10,000 years old.

CLIR’s funding is part of its Cataloging Hidden Special Collections and Archives program, which is supported by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

“CLIR’s generous support will help Yellowstone preserve many of its cultural treasures, which will give future generations a better understanding of this special place, and inspire them to protect and preserve it,” said Karen Bates Kress, president of the Yellowstone Park Foundation.

This Yellowstone project addresses the challenges of processing collections cost effectively at a small rural repository with limited resources. Funds will be used to harness the power of teamwork to rapidly identify, appraise, and arrange important collections.

“This is a very significant opportunity for the Yellowstone National Park Archives, because it will allow us to preserve nearly 250,000 rare documents and make them available to researchers,” said Anne Foster, Yellowstone archivist.  “It will give us new tools to help us work efficiently with volunteers to ensure the preservation of Yellowstone’s historic records for the future.”

The Yellowstone Park Foundation has served as Yellowstone National Park’s official fundraising partner since 1996.  Its mission is to fund projects and programs that protect, preserve, and enhance the natural and cultural resources, and the visitor experience of the Park.  YPF has raised more than $80 million, and funded more than 250 important projects and initiatives since its inception including wildlife research, cutthroat trout restoration, trail maintenance, and youth education.  For more information, please go to www.ypf.org.