August 4, 1997

Contact: Guy Lamolinara, Library of Congress (202) 707-9217
        Crystal Ashton, Ameritech Library Services (801) 223-5330

 GUIDELINES FOR 1997-98 LIBRARY OF CONGRESS/AMERITECH
 NATIONAL DIGITAL LIBRARY COMPETITION NOW AVAILABLE

 The Library of Congress/Ameritech National Digital Library Competition
Guidelines for 1997-98 are now available.  The Guidelines may be used by any
nonfederal, tax-exempt, nonprofit (501(c)3) cultural repository in the
United States holding primary sources suitable for digitizing and making
available on the Internet.  To order, view or download the Guidelines, visit
the competition's Web site at http://lcweb2.loc.gov/ammem/award/.

 With a $2 million gift from Ameritech, the Library of Congress 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. These
digital collections will complement and enhance the collections made
available on the Internet by the National Digital Library Program at the
Library of Congress.

 The National Digital Library is envisioned as a distributed collection of
converted library materials and digital originals to which many American
institutions will contribute.  The Library of Congress's contribution to
this World Wide Web-based virtual library is called American Memory.

 This is the second year of the competition; 10 institutions received awards
last April in the first round of the program.

 For this competition cycle, applications will be limited to collections of
textual and graphic materials that illuminate United States history and culture
for the period from 1763-1920.

 Program staff will be available for individual consultations Aug. 29,
during the Society of American Archivists Annual Meeting in Chicago (check
program guide for location).  A workshop will be held Sept. 8 in Washington,
D.C., at the Library of Congress.  Call (202) 707-1087 to schedule an
individual consultation or use the on-line registration form at the
competition Web site (http://lcweb2.loc.gov/ammem/award) to sign up for the
Sept. 8 workshop.


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PR97-127
8-4-97
ISSN 0731-3527

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Guy Lamolinara
Public Affairs Office
Library of Congress

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(202) 707-9217 (phone)
(202) 707-9199 (fax)

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