New Online: Louisiana State Archives and Louisiana Public Television Launch Digital Media Archive

From the Louisiana State Archives and Louisiana Public Broadcasting (LPB):

This exciting new project is the home of the Louisiana Public Broadcasting Digital Collection and the Louisiana State Archives Multimedia Collection. This is the culmination of a five-year effort to give the general public a front row seat to Louisiana history through video of historic events and allows viewers a chance to visit remote and endangered Louisiana places and cultures. It’s also the kickoff of LPB’s 40th anniversary celebration.

“We see the LDMA as both an exciting educational tool for teachers and students and a way to preserve the valuable media from our state’s rich history,” LPB Presi­dent CEO Beth Courtney said.

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Originally discussed in 2005, actual work began on the archive in 2009 when LPB joined in the American Archive of Public Broadcasting [a collaboration between the Library of Congress and WGBH] project funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

Since that time, the LDMA has digitized more than 1,500 videos including interviews with Louisiana civil rights heroes, notable po­litical figures, war heroes, artists and literary icons. Thou­sands of other videos will be added to the collection in the coming years. The public cannot download any of the content on the site, but they can view it by visiting http://ladigitalmedia.org.

Some of the items featured in the LDMA are episodes from LPB’s award-winning series “Louisiana: The State We’re In” and “Louisiana Public Square,” clips from the six-part “Louisiana: A History” series, coastal con­servation documentaries and cultural heritage programs. LPB will be adding more clips from its award-winning documentaries and series in the future. The Louisiana State Archives holds the historic collections of many of the state’s oldest and most respected news broadcasters including WWL-New Orleans; WBRZ-Baton Rouge; and KLFY-Lafayette along with hundreds of oral history inter­views recorded over the past half-century.

Clips from the six-part “Louisiana: A History” series, coastal con­servation documentaries and cultural heritage programs. LPB will be adding more clips from its award-winning documentaries and series in the future. The Louisiana State Archives holds the historic collections of many of the state’s oldest and most respected news broadcasters including WWL-New Orleans; WBRZ-Baton Rouge; and KLFY-Lafayette along with hundreds of oral history inter­views recorded over the past half-century.

In addition to providing an educational resource for our state, part of the LDMA’s mission is to preserve the historic video that was recorded during the modern age.

Direct to Louisiana Digital Media Archive

See Also: Direct to American Archive of Public Broadcasting Web Site

See Also: Learn More About The American Archive of Public Broadcasting (Conference Presentation) (May 24, 2014)

See Also: Update and Slide Presentation from the American Archive of Public Broadcasting (December 15, 2013)

See Also: Library of Congress Selected as New Home of American Archive of Public Broadcasting (November 14, 2013)