Yes, Penn State Libraries deliver projects to record and/or preserve intangible cultural heritage such as local folklore, traditions, language, and knowledge.
The university hosts Literary and Cultural Heritage Maps of Pennsylvania as part of the The Pennsylvania Center for the Book, which is located in the Paterno Library on the University Park campus of Penn State University. It is a digital humanities project that is committed to represent all geographic locations and demographic groups that have contributed to Pennsylvania’s literary and cultural heritage. To address historical exclusions, the project prioritizes women, Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, LGBTQ+ persons, people with disabilities, and other previously-marginalized and underrepresented groups in the expansion of our site.
Penn State scholars are active participants in PA Digital, the Pennsylvania resource hub for the Digital Public Library of America (formerly known as the Pennsylvania Digital Cultural Heritage Collaborative). Collections include “The Fight for Suffrage,” the battle at Gettysburg and WWII collections, and a history of railroads and the role of Quakers in Pennsylvania history. In addition, Penn State scholars present on the topics of Inclusive Archives and Digital Preservation.
The Penn State College of the Liberal Arts operates the Center for Black Digital Research, a public-facing research center committed to bringing the histories of early Black organizing to digital life through innovative scholarship and collaborative partnerships. University Libraries hosts Digital Projects and Exhibits that include Black Representation in American Politics , The Legacy and Evolution of Disability Rights & Lived Experience at Penn State, and the Latino/a/x Experience Oral History Project.
Other examples of projects which record and/or preserve intangible cultural heritage include library guides on Indigenous People of Pennsylvania and Folklore and Folklife Studies and the Pennsylvania Center for Folklore.
