A recently added resource at the Pella Public Library started with a grant last summer, and is now available for citizens to use. Chris Brown with the Pella Public Library says the Pella Community Memory Database has historical photographs, letters, first-person documents, genealogical information, and more, all searchable for anyone. He says there are four main goals (or values) of the Pella Community Memory Database project:

Preserve History – The Pella Community Memory Database serves as a place for the history of Pella, Iowa, to be preserved. It makes an important backup and safeguard in the event that the original materials are damaged or destroyed. It also minimizes handling of the original materials, as the documents can be viewed without touching the originals.

Present History – The Pella Community Memory Database serves to make the history of Pella, Iowa more widely accessible to the local community, and to researchers on the state, national, and international level. It is a centralized location for this history to be accessed, and in addition the PCMD provides new and exciting ways to be able to electronically search this collection and make historical connections

Promote History – The Pella Community Memory Database serves as a tool to promote the history of Pella, Iowa to its citizens and to people all over the globe. Pursuing a forward-thinking project such as this one is a statement that Pella values its history and further ensures that a new generation of children, teens, and young adults have the resources to connect with this history in the most effective way possible.

Prompt History – The Pella Community Memory Database serves as a catalyst to encourage people to not only consider their own family history, but consider privately-owned documents and other materials that they may be able to contribute to the PCMD. The project will prompt citizens of Pella to come forward with previously unknown pieces of Pella history in order to share them with the larger community for the public good.

In 2019, the Pella Public Library received an Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) Accelerating Promising Practices for Small Libraries grant in the amount of $29,116. Partnering with the Pella Historical Society and Museums, the database project works to digitize and preserve Pella’s historical documents for future generations, present the history of Pella as a unique community, promote an interest of history to those in Pella and around the world, and prompt others to find their own history and share that history back with the library. Visit www.pellacmd.com to explore the Pella Community Memory Database. Hear more about the effort on today’s In Depth with Dr. Bob Leonard.