History of NWDH

In the early 2000s, many state library agencies started utilizing evolving technology and recently developed metadata standards to create statewide “memory” projects, and some provided varying levels of digitization support, training, and infrastructure to libraries and the cultural heritage sectors in their states.

In 2007, the Washington State Library division of the Office of Secretary of State, with funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) Grants to States program, launched a pilot project with the Ritzville Public Library showcasing the A.M. Kendrick Photo Collection. This project helped demonstrate the need and feasibility of a statewide digital collections effort in Washington. Soon, the Washington Rural Heritage project was born, focused on providing such support to small, rural, and tribal libraries.

As Washington Rural Heritage and other state memory projects grew, so did interest in a statewide effort for Oregonians. To better understand needs in the state, in 2013 the State Library of Oregon commissioned and published a Digital Collections Plan (PDF) for the state of Oregon, following an environmental scan of existing digital collections and needs around the state.

Following up on the Oregon Digital Collections Plan, a one-day summit was held at the State Library of Oregon in Salem in 2015, bringing together cultural heritage practitioners throughout Oregon and Washington, to explore challenges and opportunities for our region. A commissioned report with recommendations was generated based on group discussions during the Northwest Digital Collections Summit (PDF).

In 2018, the Oregon Heritage Commission undertook an in-depth survey of the digital collections at libraries, museums, and other cultural heritage institutions (PDF) in Oregon. The survey results eventually provided a solid foundation for future planning and prioritization for the Northwest Digital Heritage partnership. Shortly thereafter, discussions about a joint regional Northwest effort were renewed between the Oregon Heritage Commission, the State Library of Oregon, and the Washington State Library.

In May 2021, Northwest Digital Heritage officially launched as a joint project of the Oregon Heritage Commission, the Washington State Library, and the State Library of Oregon, and as a service hub of the DPLA. During the COVID-19 pandemic, staff at the Washington State Library championed participation in a national discovery platform, the Digital Public Library of America (DPLA), as a central goal to a shared effort and something easily facilitated through remote work.

Since then Northwest Digital Heritage has successfully contributed over 839,500 metadata records to the DPLA from over 270 collections in Washington, Oregon, and Idaho.