UNO Receives First National Historical Publications and Records Commission Grant

A new grant awarded by the National Archives' National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC) to the Dr. C.C. and Mabel L. Criss Library will expand access to the archival collection of the Great Plains Black History Museum. UNO archivists Amy Schindler and Lori Schwartz and Eric Ewing, Executive Director of the Great Plains Black History Museum, will lead the collaboration.

The project Access to the Archives of the Great Plains Black History Museum is funded by the NHPRC for 2024-2026. The $150,000 grant supports the hiring of a Project Archivist whose work to arrange and describe the Museum’s archives will enhance use and knowledge of the unique collection with the creation of accessible description.

The Great Plains Black History Museum’s 115 cubic foot archival collection includes documents, photographs, records of the museum, and other material dating from 1870 to 2015 that documents the Black community in Omaha, Nebraska, and more broadly in the Great Plains. The archival material was gathered by the Museum’s founder Mrs. Bertha Calloway and subsequent volunteers and staff. The collection remains the property of the Museum with the arrangement and description work of the archival material being completed at UNO’s Criss Library.

“This grant will help the Museum's archives become more accessible to the community and researchers, making a once-invisible history visible to the community,” said Ewing, Executive Director of the Great Plains Black History Museum.

The Great Plains Black History Museum’s archive is the largest collection documenting Black history in Omaha and the region. The collection documents many aspects of community life including businesses, religious institutions, rural settlements, schools, community leaders, foodways, veterans, musicians and music venues, social organizations, and more.

Criss Library’s Director of Archives and Special Collections Amy Schindler shared, “Criss Library’s Archives and Special Collections is honored to partner with the Great Plains Black History Museum to complete the work necessary for the archival collection to be more widely available. We look forward to sharing stories and voices from the collection with the community for study and use.”

This is Criss Library’s first grant from the National Archives' National Historical Publications and Records Commission. In addition to the arrangement and description of the Great Plains Black History Museum’s archival collection, the project partners will also collaborate to offer public programs during the grant period.

About Criss Library

The Dr. C.C. and Mabel L. Criss Library fulfills the UNO mission through dynamic services, highly qualified and adaptive personnel, unique and extensive collections, and accessible learning spaces and environments. With its location on UNO’s Dodge Campus, Criss Library provides UNO students, faculty and staff, and the Omaha community with the resources and materials needed to excel academically and professionally.

About the Great Plains Black History Museum

To preserve, educate, and exhibit the contributions and achievements of the African Americans with an emphasis on the Great Plains region, as well as provide a space to learn, explore, reflect and remember our history. For over 40 years, the Great Plains Black History Museum has been an important institution dedicated to publicizing and preserving the achievements of the region’s vibrant African American heritage. We welcome the African American community, regional residents and schools, and Omaha-area visitors. We collect and preserve materials documenting the Black experience while making these available to the public. We are an educational resource available for schools, inspiring learning through our permanent collection, exhibitions, and programs.

About the National Historical Publications and Records Commission

The National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC) of the National Archives supports projects that promote access to America's historical records to encourage understanding of our democracy, history, and culture. The 15-member Commission includes representatives from all three branches of the Federal government as well as the leading archival and historical professional associations. Archivist of the United States Dr. Colleen Shogan is the Chair, and Christopher Eck is the Executive Director. Since it was established in 1934 along with the National Archives, the NHPRC has awarded 5,200 grants for preserving, publishing, and providing access to the nation’s historical documents.