Sustainable Heritage Network

The Sustainable Heritage Network (SHN) is an answer to the pressing need for comprehensive workshops, online tutorials, and web resources dedicated to the lifecycle of digital stewardship. The SHN is a collaborative project that complements the work of Indigenous peoples globally to preserve, share, and manage cultural heritage and knowledge. The SHN, along with our Partners, organize and offer face-to-face workshops, produce educational resources, and link people and resources through our digital workbenches. The SHN is part of a network of individuals, communities, and institutions who work together to provide each other with digital tools and preservation assistance. We call this: Collaborative Stewardship.

The Sustainable Heritage Network (SHN) is funded in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and is based at Washington State University. The SHN supports the lifecycle of cultural materials by providing a space to communicate and learn about digital stewardship and preservation. Aimed specifically at the needs of tribal archivists, librarians, and museum (TALM) specialists, the SHN was formed in response to a 2012 Association of Tribal Archives, Libraries and Museums (ATALM) report, Sustaining Indigenous Culture, which found a need for training in the lifecycle of digital stewardship through short topic courses and online materials. Organized as a collaborative network, the SHN online platform brings together communities, institutions, and professionals to support each other by sharing knowledge, educational resources, and technology necessary for the responsible digitization and preservation of cultural heritage. The SHN provides hands-on and virtual topic specific workshops and short courses; online educational resources such as video tutorials, documents and conference presentations relevant to TALMs; and access to experts, workspace and equipment through its network of workbenches to further digitization and preservation.

Visit sustainableheritagenetwork.org to learn more.