The Rasmuson Foundation is pleased to announce a new funding opportunity for Canadian archives, libraries, museums, and other memory institutions to take part in a digitization initiative focused on the Arctic Circumpolar region.

With funding from the Rasmuson Foundation, this project will support the digitization of primarily textual collections (including ephemera), related to: the Arctic/Circumpolar; Canadiana and Northern regional histories; the fur trade, including materials connected to the voyageurs and trade routes extending into Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan; Canadian railroad history, particularly as it relates to northern expansion and infrastructure; and First Nations cultures and histories, especially those of the North and the Northwest Coast (British Columbia).

The work will be carried out primarily at the Internet Archive Canada digitization centre in Toronto. Participating institutions will receive full digital copies of their materials.

Access & Reuse: All digitized content will be made available on archive.org, collections will also be featured on a dedicated digital portal for Arctic and Northern materials: https://circumpolarnavigator.org/.

Timeline: All projects must be completed by October 2026.

How to Get Involved: If your organization holds relevant collections, please complete and submit the digitization inquiry form: https://digitization.archive.org/contact-us/ or express your interest by emailing loren@archive.org.

We plan to secure future grants and funding, so we can keep in touch with potential Canadian partners beyond whom we work with on this grant.