KENNEBUNK — The Brick Store Museum has announced that it has received a prestigious federal grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services for its project to digitize its archival collection of Kennebunks and York County photographs, to then be used by the public. More than 5,000 photographs, glass plate negatives, dageurrotypes, stereographs and newspapers on microfilm will be included in the project. These images represent the history of the Kennebunks and York County as a whole, but have not yet been preserved digitally.

The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation’s 123,000 libraries and 35,000 museums. Their mission is to inspire libraries and museums to advance innovation, lifelong learning, and cultural and civic engagement. Grant making, policy development and research help libraries and museums deliver valuable services that make it possible for communities and individuals to thrive. To learn more, visit www.imls.gov.

The Brick Store Museum’s collection of three dimensional and archival items number close to 70,000 objects in total. A major goal for the museum in the coming years is to bring its collections online so that the public can gain access to its research possibilities. To begin this process, IMLS granted the museum $24,940 to digitize its photograph collection under its Museums for America grants program; the Brick Store Museum was one of only three museums in Maine to receive this grant in 2015. Senator Angus King’s office made the official announcement to the museum in September.