SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois State Historical Records Advisory Board (ISHRAB), overseen by Illinois Secretary of State and State Archivist Alexi Giannoulias, has awarded grants to enable 11 historical records repositories across the state to digitize, preserve and expand access to archival materials that document Illinois’ cultural heritage.
The grants support projects that make historically significant records – from rare photographs and correspondence to community bulletins, board proceedings and film collections – more accessible to the public through online platforms.
“History lives in our communities, not just in museums or textbooks. These grants help ensure that our shared story is preserved and available for everyone to access, regardless of where they live,” Giannoulias said. “By supporting historical archives across Illinois, we’re opening new windows into the local culture, industry and civic life. The work these organizations are doing helps us understand who we are, where we’ve come from and how we build a better tomorrow, together.”
Funding for the grants was provided through a State Board Programming Grant from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC). Since 2010, the ISHRAB has awarded 144 grants through the NHPRC to archives and cultural institutions in 34 Illinois counties.
The following organizations received grants for their historical records projects during the 2025-2026 grant cycle:
Carbondale: Board of Trustees of Southern Illinois University
Digitization of Selected Films in the Special Collections Research Center: $1,000 to digitize film collections housed in Morris Library and make them publicly available on YouTube.
Chicago: Chicago Park District
Digitization & Public Access of Historical Chicago Park District Proceedings: $5,000 to digitize proceedings from 22 superseded park districts dating back to 1869.
Chicago: Historic Pullman Foundation
Digitizing Historic Pullman Records: $5,000 to digitize significant archival materials related to the Pullman Company, the community of Pullman and labor and civil rights history.
Chicago: Lithuanian Archives Project
Voice of America (VOA) Uncovered: Lithuanian Diaspora Reel Digitization: $575 to purchase digitization supplies to process the VOA Lithuanian collection.
Elgin: Gail Borden Public Library
The Elgin Dairy Reports: Digitizing and Preserving Elgin’s Dairy Heritage 1892-1903: $1,823 to digitize and preserve historic bulletins documenting Elgin’s role as “The Dairy Capital of the World.”
Lake Forest: Lake Forest College Archives & Special Collections
Providing Digital Access to Joseph Medill Patterson’s Correspondence with Daughters: $3,000 to digitize family letters connected to the prominent Illinois publisher.
Macomb: Western Illinois Museum
Enhancing Access to WIM’s Photography Collection: $4,650 to preserve and digitize images documenting the region’s agricultural and educational history.
Maroa: Maroa-Forsyth School District, MF School Archives
Preservation of 1930s and 1940s Film and Photo Collections, School Board Minutes: $1,110 to safeguard collections documenting local schools in the 1930s and 1940s.
Mascoutah: Mascoutah Public Library
Mascoutah Local History & Genealogy Digitization: $1,755 to digitize community history records and make them accessible online.
Millstadt: Millstadt Historical Society
Preserving Millstadt’s Liederkranz Legacy: $1,162 to digitize deteriorating records documenting the cultural impact of Liederkranz, a 19th-century community organization.
Naperville: North Central College
Digitization of Caroline Shoemaker Memorial Collection of Naperville Pictures: $3,375 to digitalize nearly 4,000 historical images of Naperville from 1970-1989 for public access.
