Faculty in the College of Arts and Sciences are invited to submit proposals to digitize collections in support of visual and interactive learning, teaching and research.

Applicants need only a good idea to begin the process; through the Grants Program for Digital Collections in Arts and Sciences, library staff members collaborate with faculty members to prepare proposals that translate inspiration into technical plans that will lead to digital collections for global discovery and access.

Many categories of materials are eligible for the program, including faculty members' own collections and materials already held by the library, as well as those held by other institutions.

In 2010 awards went for five projects in diverse fields, including Classics, Asian and German studies, anthropology. Projects involved Nepali texts, Japanese theater manuscripts, Cornell's plaster cast collection and more.

"This program aims to encourage collaborative and creative use of scholarly digital content with enduring value," said Oya Rieger, associate university librarian for digital scholarship services. "We're excited to see the results of last year's projects soon, and we're eager to see the ideas that develop this year."

Applicants should express initial interest by Feb. 18 by sending an e-mail to dcaps@cornell.edu with information describing the collection, document types (photographs, monographs, manuscripts, slides, etc.) and the estimated collection size.

The annual grant program is funded by the College of Arts of Sciences and coordinated by Cornell University Library.

Full applications are due March 31, and award announcements will be made in May. Visit the library's website for more information.

Gwen Glazer is a staff writer at Cornell University Library.