• Do you work with historic collections and want to enhance your knowledge of the digital collections lifecycle?
• Do you want to feel more confident about creating digital collections that support the goals of your organization and the priorities of your community?
• Do you work with archival collections or local history collections but do not have formal archival training?
• Do you enjoy contributing to discussions, and learn better in small group settings?

If so, consider joining the Digital Collections Stewardship 2026-27 Cohort. For the 3rd year in a row, Colorado State Library (CSL) staff will lead participants through our Digital Collections Stewardship Program. We are seeking staff members at Colorado and Wyoming libraries, museums, archives, and historical societies who want to enhance their digital collections knowledge by participating in this 8-month, facilitated peer group learning experience from September 16, 2026 through April 21, 2027.

Register now through September 8, 2026. Please note: this experience is for professionals working in Colorado and Wyoming only.

What Past Learners Have Said

• This course was helpful. It let me know our institution isn’t alone in some of the struggles we are facing.
• I really appreciated what I was able to attend – and appreciate the flexibility to watch enrichment programs later. The small group was especially enlightening – to connect with peers, share frustrations and excitements.
• Having the guest speakers in during the enrichment sessions was hugely beneficial. I also liked being able to discuss our individual challenges and ideas in the small group meetings.
• I thought this course was incredible. Like most things the people made it a great experience. The large group enrichment meetings were great and I felt that I learned a lot of useful skills and forged connections with a variety of people across the state.

Why consider joining?

Professional growth. This course is designed for beginner- and intermediate-level professionals working in libraries, archives, museums, and historical societies; however, the peer learning model is valuable for learners of all experience levels.

Expansive scope. The Digital Collections Stewardship Program will take you through the entire lifecycle of digital stewardship, going beyond technical training in digitization and metadata to address organizing, managing, preserving, and sharing digital collections.

Peer engagement. The interactive, discussion-based learning model will help you stay motivated, build connections, learn from your peers, and share your own knowledge as you work towards completing the online course.

Expert support. The group’s facilitators—Leigh Jeremias and Amy Hitchner from CSL—will keep you on track by facilitating group discussions and filling in learning gaps, while enrichment content from guest speakers will add context to what you learn.

Hands-on practice. This experience is designed to strengthen your knowledge of digital collections while giving you the opportunity to practice what you learn. You are encouraged to apply the relevant aspects to your digital collections workflow, then share your experiences with your group.

Project Outline

The Digital Collections Stewardship Program consists of 8 modules with 1-2 topics per module. Each month, you will complete a self-directed walkthrough of each module (1-2 hrs each), then meet online for a review and peer discussion facilitated by CSL consultants.

We will meet from September 2026 – April 2027, on the third Wednesday of each month from 11:00 am to 12:30 pm (90 minutes).

• September 16, 2026
• October 21, 2026
• November 18, 2026
• December 16, 2026
• January 20, 2027
• February, 17, 2027
• March 17, 2027
• April 21, 2027

Logistics and Group Expectations

• All meetings will be held virtually over Zoom. Register to add the meetings to your calendar.
• Since our meetings rely on group discussion and engagement, we ask that participants be ready to talk with their cameras on.
• All meetings will be recorded and shared with participants.
• A mailing list will be available for communication and peer support.

Monthly Activities

• Self-directed review of one course module, which includes suggested readings and recordings. Refer to Digital Collections Stewardship Program for the sequence of modules and topics.
• One cohort meeting (90 minutes) to review the module content and engage in peer discussion.
• Independent work applying course content to your digital collections workflow.

Registration

• Register now through September 1, 2026. Please note: this experience is for professionals working in Colorado and Wyoming only.

Meet your facilitators

Leigh Jeremias is the Digital Collections Senior Consultant for the Colorado State Library where she manages the Colorado Historic Newspapers Collection and the Plains to Peaks Collective. Leigh has over 26 years experience working to make historical collections accessible to the widest audience possible. She has extensive experience in the development, care and refinement of archival and digital collections as well as knowledge of several collection management databases, metadata schemas and aggregation, copyright and risk assessment, and project management. Prior to working at the State Library, Leigh worked at History Colorado and the American Philosophical Society in Philadelphia. In her current role she works to expand state and national access to all types of historic collections found at both small and large cultural heritage institutions.

Amy Hitchner is the Metadata and Integration Services Senior Consultant for the Colorado State Library, where she manages CVL Collections, a program that helps small cultural heritage organizations get their digital collections online using the Omeka platform. The program is also an on-ramp to participate in the Plains to Peaks Collective, the Colorado-Wyoming shared digital collection. In addition to managing CVL Collections, Amy publishes the Friday Grab Bag, a weekly series highlighting Colorado library programs and events. She has 19 years of library experience in cataloging, metadata, technical services, electronic resources, serials, and collection management at academic and school libraries.

Questions

• Do I need to be brand new to digital collections work to join the project?
  • No. Even if you have some experience creating digital collections you will likely find value in participating, as the online course explores digital stewardship topics that you may not have encountered before. Contact Leigh Jeremias if you have questions about whether participation is right for you.
• Can I join if I work in Wyoming?
  • Yes! We welcome participants from Colorado and Wyoming.
• Can I join if I work outside Colorado or Wyoming?
  • At this time, the program only has capacity to support professionals in Colorado and Wyoming. However, the program website is available to anyone who would like to work through the content on their own.
• Do I need to be available for all the meetings in order to join?
  • You’ll get the most out of the experience if you come to all the meetings. Of course, if you need to miss a meeting from time to time that is OK.
• Can more than one person from my organization join?
  • Yes.
• Is there a registration cost for the course?
  • No.
• Do I need any special equipment?
  • For the course itself you just need a device with a camera and microphone for participating in online meetings.
• Will there be any certificate awarded?
  • The Colorado State Library does not offer a certificate or educational credit for this course.
• What if I don’t have access to any digital collections?
  • While you will get the most out of this experience if you can apply what you learn to a real-life digital collection, we understand that this isn’t always possible. Please consider joining us anyway. 

If you have more questions that aren’t answered here, please reach out to Leigh Jeremias, [email protected].