Perhaps I may be able to lead you in the right direction. As far as virtual
access to the collection there are many options. At the recent NEMA Annual
Conference in Portland, Maine, Paul O'Pecko and others from Mystic Seaport
presented information about their digitizing project funded in part by the
Library of Congress and by the Andrew Mellon Foundation. An important part
of their successful grant application for the Mellon foundation was that the
project would have to show that, once completed, the digital database could
generate its own funding. You would have to ask Mr. O'Pecko what he said
exactly, or you could use my suggestions:

To generate funding from a digital collections database:
Use the New England Historic Genealogical Society and Stratford Hall
Plantation (the Home of Robert E. Lee) as examples.
The NEHGS charges a fee to members to access their databases of genealogical
records and other local histories.
Stratford Hall (since aboout Sept 1996) has been placing a single digitized
document (possibly with a transcription) on its website each month.
I would suggest that you "tease" an audience by adopting a plan like that at
Stratford Hall, and then charge website visitors to more fully search your
private collection.

Just a suggestion.

My best,
Laura


L.W.S. Petznick, Ph.D.
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615-824-7371
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