We are forming a group in our town (Northfield, MN) that is looking at 
developing a collaborative project on making access to our town’s history 
easier.  This project will include our public library, Carleton and St. Olaf 
College, our county historical society and our own town’s historical society.  
We are looking at developing a website that is a searchable database of our 
towns records that is gathered at all of these different institutions.  So, one 
person can search for a subject and see what each organization has.  We are 
also looking at developing a documentation strategy for all of the institutions 
so we are not duplicating work.  My questions to you all are:

Is there any city or town that has this sort of project out there?  Or have 
tried in the past?

Has there been and inter-institutional documentation strategy done before in 
a town or city?

And also is there a need for this type of project out there?

One of our goals is to increase communication between libraries, archives and 
museum/historical societies; we think this type of project will do that.  So I 
ask again, is there a need in "our world" for this type of collaboration?

You can respond to me off-list or on list.

Thank you all in advance for your responses!

Hayes Scriven
Executive Director 
Northfield Historical Society

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