2026-2027 Grant Cycle

METRO is pleased to announce the call for applications for our 2026 Digitization Project Grant. 

Please take a look at our Program Guide and this website for more information about eligibility and requirements. The application deadline is Friday, May 1st, 2026. Please direct any questions about this opportunity to Traci Mark (tmark@metro.org) and Allison Sherrick (asherrick@metro.org).

Overview

The primary purpose of this grant program is to support digitization projects for METRO members, in order to enhance the quality and accessibility of library and information resources in the metropolitan New York region. This program will enable METRO members to provide free and open access to materials in their collections that have not yet been digitized or are not currently publicly available. METRO members will also build institutional capacity, resulting in members being better positioned for future larger-scale digitization projects.

We launched our Digitization Grant Program in January 2005 to support projects involving significant collections held by METRO member libraries in New York City and Westchester County. Since that time, we’ve awarded over $950,000 in grants to support 97 digital projects. Our grant program is supported in part by funds from the New York State Regional Bibliographic Databases Program.

Mission Statement

METRO’s Digitization Project Grant is designed to meet the needs of METRO members working on projects at various stages of the digitization life cycle. Our aim is to create community capacity for digital collections while supporting our member institutions. By doing this, we endeavor to enable sustainable digital spacemaking, cultural heritage resource exchange, access to collections materials from a spectrum of diverse viewpoints, and research support for individuals seeking information and resources related to Metropolitan New York’s history and unique communities.

Program Description 

The primary purpose of this grant program is to support digitization projects for METRO members, in order to enhance the quality and accessibility of library and information resources in the metropolitan New York region. This program will enable METRO members to provide free and open access to materials in their collections that have not yet been digitized or are not currently publicly available. METRO members will also build institutional capacity, resulting in members being better positioned for future larger-scale digitization projects.

Each institution is eligible to receive  funding of up to $10,000 for their project.

The following should be considered when selecting collections to be funded through this project. We seek to provide support for:

• Useful and accurate content
• Rare and unique items
• Materials that have a potential for enduring value in digital form
• Materials that are beneficial to New York residents and community members

Institutions must have the rights needed to provide online access to the digitized materials (free of copyright restrictions for educational uses).

The following should be considered when selecting materials within collections. We seek to fund materials that:

• Highlight collections
• Best represent the community
• Are most requested by patrons
• Are difficult to access in physical form
• Are cataloged or collections that are processed
• Will be made available online

Learn more about past grant recipients and their projects here.

Please have vendor quotes (if any) ready, as well as a timeline and budget when applying.

Program Schedule

• Monday, March 16th, 2026: Call for applications
• Wednesday, April 15th, 2026 from 11am – 12pm: Information Session
• Friday, May 1st, 2026: Applications due
• Friday, July 10th, 2026: All grant applicants are notified of their status
• Monday, August 3rd, 2026: Grant period begins
• September 2026 (Date TBD): First cohort meeting and progress update
• December 2026 (Date TBD): Second cohort meeting and progress update
• Friday, January 15th, 2027: First reimbursement period: progress report and invoice due to METRO
• April 2027 (Date TBD): Third and final cohort meeting and progress update
• Friday, May 28th, 2027: Program ends: second and final reimbursement packages due to METRO 

Eligibility

Only METRO member institutions located in New York City and Westchester County are eligible to apply. You can find our list of members here. 

Interested in becoming a member? Please visit our membership page and submit your institutional information by Monday, April 27th if you are interested in applying for the grant. 

If you are a current METRO member, please make sure your membership is up to date prior to the application deadline. We will only review applications from METRO members with no outstanding dues.

Advisory Council Members

METRO staff will work with an Advisory Council in the selection of these grants. Our Advisory Council members are:

• Meral Agish, Community Coordinator of the Queens Memory Project at Queens Public Library
• Dylan Flesch, Digital Asset Manager at New York Public Radio
• Alice Griffin, Archivist at Center for Brooklyn History 
• Tara Hart, Archives Manager at the Whitney Museum of American Art
• Drey Jonathan, Digital Archivist at The New York Public Library 
• Mary Mann, Archives Librarian at Cooper Union
• Miriam Neptune, Director of Milstein Center Exhibits, Programming and Public Engagement, Barnard College
• Madeleine Thompson, Director of the Library and Archives at the Wildlife Conservation Society