Together with the Delaware County Institute of Science, the Media Historic Archives Commission has recently been awarded a grant from the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission to digitize the photographs and manuscripts of the Delaware County Institute of Science, and make those documents available online.
This grant, which is being administered by the Borough of Media, has a two-year window to complete the project and will expire in April of 2024.
One DCIS collection that will be focused on during project will be the notes and writings of Graceanna Lewis. Born in 1821, Lewis was a botanist, naturalist, abolitionist, and social reformer. She was one of the first three women to be accepted into the Academy of Natural Sciences. Born in Chester County, she later lived on Gayley Street in Media and was a member of DCIS. Her notes and writings will be digitized, archived, and posted online.
Adam Levine, librarian of the Delaware County Institute of Science and chair of the Media Historic Archives Commission, is heading up the project. He hopes it will shed light on some unseen collections that otherwise would continue to be hidden. Thousands of pages of DCIS manuscripts and about 1,000 photographs have already been scanned, and thousands more pages of are yet to be scanned. Adam is working with web developers and designers using software and an interface to help get transcripts up online. The goal of the grant is to both help the Institute of Science become more visible to the community by making its collections accessible to the world.
The Delaware County Institute of Science is located at 11 Veterans Square in Media, in a building constructed in 1869. DCIS has been an all-volunteer organization since 1833 and currently has about 175 members. Both the Media Historic Archives Commission [add link here: Mediahistoricarchives.org] and DCIS could use your help! Inquire today about volunteer and membership opportunities.