Broward Public Library Foundation

THE AFRICAN AMERICAN RESEARCH LIBRARY AND CULTURAL CENTER?IN PARTNERSHIP WITH SHIFT DESIGN, THE SCHOMBURG CENTER FOR RESEARCH IN BLACK CULTURE, SPELMAN COLLEGE ARCHIVES, AUBURN AVENUE RESEARCH LIBRARY, LANGSTON HUGHES COMMUNITY LIBRARY AND CULTURAL CENTER, AND THE AFRICAN AMERICAN MUSEUM AND LIBRARY AT OAKLAND?WILL HOLD A NATIONAL FORUM CALLED ?ARCHIVING THE BLACK WEB?. THE FORUM WILL FOCUS ON STRATEGIES FOR COLLECTING AND PRESERVING BLACK HISTORY AND CULTURE ONLINE AS WELL AS BUILDING A SUPPORT COMMUNITY FOR BLACK CULTURAL HERITAGE COLLECTIONS INTERESTED IN WEB ARCHIVING. THE CULTURALLY RELEVANT YET HIGHLY EPHEMERAL NATURE OF WEB-PUBLISHED CONTENT BY AND ABOUT BLACK PEOPLE IS AT RISK OF BEING LOST FOREVER OR LEFT TO A FATE OF BENIGN NEGLECT. THIS NATIONAL DIALOGUE WILL CREATE THE INFRASTRUCTURE AND FRAMEWORK FOR THE FUTURE OF DOCUMENTING THE WEB PRESENCE OF BLACK HISTORY AND CULTURE.

THE BROWARD COUNTY LIBRARY WILL ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF RESIDENTS IN MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED UNEMPLOYMENT AND ECONOMIC DISTRESS DURING THE RECOVERY PHASE OF THE PANDEMIC, BY DEVELOPING A BCL TO GO ? WORKFORCE READY PROGRAM. EACH OF THE SIXTY KITS WILL INCLUDE A TABLE, WITH AN INTERNET DATA PLAN TO SERVE AS MOBILE WORKSTATIONS, EQUIPPED WITH WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AND EDUCATIONAL APPLICATIONS WHICH WILL HELP USERS PREPARE RESUMES, CONDUCT JOB SEARCHES, ENGAGE IN ONLINE INTERVIEWS, AND ATTEND EDUCATIONAL WEBINARS TO INCREASE THEIR EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES. THIS PROGRAM WILL TARGET ADULTS IN SIX BROWARD COUNTY ZIP CODES WHICH HAVE THE HIGHEST UNEMPLOYMENT RATES AND HAVE ADDITIONALLY BEEN IMPACTED BY COVID-19.

IN HONOR OF ITS 15TH YEAR ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION, THE BROWARD PUBLIC LIBRARY FOUNDATION/AFRICAN AMERICAN RESEARCH LIBRARY AND CULTURAL CENTER (AARLCC) WILL INSTALL A HARLEM RENAISSANCE EXHIBIT THAT WILL FEATURE THREE DISTINCT VIRTUAL REALITY EXPERIENCES AS WELL AS MURALS, ARTIFACTS, AND OTHER RELATED MATERIALS. THE PROJECT WILL ALSO INCLUDE THE CREATION OF A VIRTUAL REALITY TRAVELING EXHIBIT THAT WILL BE DISPLAYED IN FIVE DIFFERENT MUSEUMS WITHIN THE STATE OF FLORIDA. THE GOAL OF THE PROJECT IS TO COMBINE DIGITAL HUMANITIES AND TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION TO EDUCATE, INFORM AND EXCITE VISITORS. THE EXHIBITION IS BASED ON "VIRTUAL HARLEM," AN ESTABLISHED DIGITAL HUMANITIES PROJECT BY PROFESSOR BRYAN CARTER, AN ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF AFRICANA STUDIES AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA, WHO SPECIALIZES IN AFRICAN AMERICAN LITERATURE OF THE 20TH CENTURY WITH A PRIMARY FOCUS ON THE HARLEM RENAISSANCE AND DIGITAL CULTURE.

BROWARD COUNTY HISTORICAL ARCHIVES PRESERVATION PROJECT

AFRICAN AMERICAN RESEARCH LIBRARY AND CULTURAL CENTER SPECIAL COLLECTIONS PRESERVATION PROJECT