This week finds us finally folding up our shorts and reaching for our sweaters! We hope you’re enjoying our brisk autumn weather after a record-breaking 15 straight days of temps at 80 degrees or above in October.

Collections

We recently added the Wahlquist Junior High Collection from Weber State University, Stewart Library. This collection spans nearly 50 years (1941-1989) and documents a wide variety of student activities at this Farr West (UT) junior high school. 

We’ve added 18 collections so far in 2024 and hope to break 20 by year’s end!

DPLA

DPLA has not yet announced its new host and we are eagerly awaiting this information. However, DPLA has shared that it will continue to host and support the cultural aggregation work through 2025, with a full launch in its new home anticipated for 2026. We look forward to sharing more information as we know it!

MWDL’s final 2024 DPLA harvest will be during the week of November 25th.

MWDL Outreach Working Group

Our newly-formed Outreach Working Group has added a few members and we met as a group for the first time on October 2. This working group includes Carl Aldrich (UT DNR – Division of State Parks), Lisa Barr (Utah Historical Society), Michelle Gollehon (Utah Historical Society), Cory Lampert (UNLV), and Ken Rockwell (UU-Marriott Library). Thanks to all for their willingness to participate! Lisa & Michelle will be sharing the position.

Historical MWDL Metadata Standards

We recently added 5 MWDL metadata standards documents to the UALC Archives digital collection hosted by Marriott Digital Library. These date from 2003-2019 and represent a continuum of metadata best practices and standards for Mountain West Digital Library partners and members.

These include:

• Western States Dublin Core Metadata Best Practices Version 1.2
• Guidelines for Mountain West Digital Library Metadata 2006
• Mountain West Digital Library Dublin Core Application Profile Version 1 2010
• Mountain West Digital Library Dublin Core Application Profile Version 2.0 2011
• Mountain West Digital Library Metadata Application Profile Version 3 2019

We are grateful to all the committees, working groups, and task forces who’ve collaborated to draft these standards through MWDL’s history.

ICYMI

Last but hardly least, National Council on Public History (NCPH) hosted a webinar series in late summer and early fall that featured talks about new research from University of Utah on World War II and the American Homefront. The webinar recordings are publicly available via YouTube and you can read more on them here.

The National Park Service also named Ogden (UT) Utah’s World War II Heritage City in September!