[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 156 (Thursday, August 13, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43425-43426]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-21723]


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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

[LOC Docket No. 98-3]


Library of Congress/Ameritech National Digital Library 
Competition

ACTION: Notice of competition.

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SUMMARY: This Notice of Competition announces that the Library of 
Congress, with a gift from Ameritech, is sponsoring a competition to 
enable public, research, and academic libraries, museums, historical 
societies, and archival institutions (except federal institutions) to 
create digital collections of primary resources for distribution on the 
Internet. In the 1998/99 competition year, applications will be limited 
to collections of textual and graphic materials that illuminate the 
period 1492-1920 and that complement and enhance the American Memory 
collections in the National Digital Library. Awards will be made of up 
to $75,000 to individual institutions and up to $150,000 to eligible 
consortia for projects that can be accomplished in twelve to eighteen 
months.

DATES: Applications must be postmarked by November 2, 1998.

ADDRESSES: LC/Ameritech NDL Competition, Library of Congress, 101 
Independence Avenue, SE, Washington, D.C. 20540-1340.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ariel Rosenblum, Tel: (202) 707-1087; 
Fax (202) 252-3249; Email: [email protected]; Http://
memory.loc.gov/ammem/award/.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The National Digital Library is envisioned 
as

[[Page 43426]]

a distributed collection of converted library materials and digital 
originals to which many American institutions will contribute. The 
Library of Congress' contribution to the World Wide Web-based virtual 
library is called American Memory and is created by the Library's 
National Digital Library Program. Non-profit cultural repositories in 
the United States with collections of primary resources that are 
significant for education and research in United States history and 
culture are eligible to apply to the LC/Ameritech Competition. 
Collections that are digitized with awards from this competition must 
be distributable on the Internet.
    Applications from Association of Research Libraries (ARL) and non-
ARL institutions will be evaluated separately, in order to encourage 
applications from a variety of institutions. In the final selection 
among meritorious projects, consideration will be given to the 
historical subjects emphasized in the guidelines and to the size, type, 
and geographical location of the applicant institution. The evaluation 
criteria is as follows:
     The significance of the collection's content for 
understanding United States history and culture, as well as its breadth 
of interest and utility to students and the general public.
     The availability and usability of aids to intellectual 
access that can be integrated into the American Memory resource.
     The technical and administrative viability of the 
project's plan of work in relation to the scope of the project.
    Applications will be evaluated by scholars, educators, librarians, 
archivists, administrators, and technical specialists external to the 
Library of Congress. Evaluators will be convened by George Farr, 
Director of the Division of Preservation and Access of the National 
Endowment for the Humanities and by Deanna Marcum, President of the 
Council on Library and Information Resources.
    Only costs directly associated with digital conversion may be 
included in the request. Equipment may not be purchased with award 
funds. The 1998/99 Guidelines and Application Instructions are 
available online to view or download from the Library of Congress/
Ameritech National Digital Library Competition Web page (http://
memory.loc.gov/ammem/award).

    Dated: August 3, 1998.
James H. Billington,
Librarian of Congress.
[FR Doc. 98-21723 Filed 8-12-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 1410-10-P