The New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center recently received a $12,000 National Endowment for the Humanities Cultural Heritage Grant which will go toward a project to digitize the cultural heritage of New Bedford’s fishing community.

Commercial fishing is often a family activity with skills and knowledge passed from one generation to the next. Consequently, much of this history resides in the photo albums, documents, and artifacts of fishing families.

This project will digitize those materials through a public event, likely in May. The project will be bookended by a variety of public programs which will serve to inspire community participation, evoke memories, and provide an interpretive framework for materials that are brought forward.

“We are thrilled to receive this funding which will further our efforts to document and preserve the rich heritage of New Bedford’s fishing community. We look forward to engaging active and retired fishermen, shoreside workers, and their families in this project,” said Laura Orleans, the executive director of the center.

Following the digitization event, UMass Boston will process images and metadata and will provide storage and public access through the University’s online repository. These materials will be included in the Digital Commonwealth and Digital Public Library of America.

For more information, visit the New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center online.