Submitted by Kathryn on
INNISFIL, (June 25, 2012) The Innisfil Public Library is excited to announce the start of a new, community based history digitization project, entitled Our Stories. As a community based initiative, the Our Stories project is looking for volunteers who are interested in helping to preserve Innisfil’s community memory. An information session has been scheduled for Thursday July 5th at 7:00 p.m. in the community room of the Innisfil Town Hall for individuals who are interested in participating. Volunteers are needed to conduct interviews, take photos and videos, scan documents and input information. No prior skills are necessary to participate.
“Funded through a grant from the New Horizons for Seniors Program, this exciting venture aims to increase the social inclusion of members of our community through volunteerism and community participation,” said Chief Librarian and CEO Susan Downs. “We are fortunate to have a number of local organizations and groups partnering to capture the stories, images and rich history of Innisfil. Through community building, skill sharing and a deep passion for our community, we are confident that this project will be of great benefit today and for many years to come”.
The library will be working in connection with the Innisfil Rotary Club, the Innisfil Historical Society, the Architectural Conservancy of Ontario, the Innisfil Heritage Committee, Sandycove Acres and other local parties. Additional interested groups are invited to also become involved.
With new open source software technology, the digitization project will allow easy access to records, including photos, maps, audio recordings, books, newspapers, and videos. The focus for the first year of the project will be stories of Stroud, to commemorate the 100th Anniversary of the Stroud Branch of the Innisfil Public Library, as well as stories of Lake Simcoe. The stories of the lake will support the social and cultural history required to endorse the designation of Lake Simcoe as a “Heritage Lake”.
For more information on becoming involved, or how to contribute photos and stories, please call (705) 431-7663 or email info@ourstoriesinnisfil.ca.