Digital Treasure Trove: Project Work Continues in the New Year

Contributed by PAFA Museum Collections

Happy New Year from PAFA’s Collections Team! After an extended holiday break, we are busy getting back to work on our long term IMLS grant project. For now, this involves continuing to edit the new photographs that have been taken up to this point, but increasingly it has involved some new file management and organizing on our part. This is in preparation for the upcoming implementation of PAFA’s updated content management system and database, which our current work will migrate to in the coming weeks. When this happens, we will temporarily pivot into a robust testing phase to ensure that everything is working correctly, and that the new tools will function properly for both internal staff and the general public online.

Otherwise, as we enter a fresh calendar year, we are proud of the work that we have been able to accomplish in recent months, despite many unexpected setbacks. This included staff injuries, illness, and the need to share limited museum resources across several departments and multiple unrelated projects. All these issues have caused various delays, and on top of the normal slowdown around the holidays, our team has had to routinely find ways to stay on track within the larger grant schedule. These kinds of surprises are, of course, unavoidable during a lengthy project like this one, and we plan to keep revising our approach as needed to complete everything on time and at a high level of quality.

About the Institute of Museum and Library Services

The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation’s libraries and museums. We advance, support, and empower America’s museums, libraries, and related organizations through grantmaking, research, and policy development. Our vision is a nation where museums and libraries work together to transform the lives of individuals and communities. To learn more, visit https://www.imls.gov/and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.