Black Archives, History and Research Foundation of South Florida

The Black Archives, History and Research Foundation of South Florida at The Historic Lyric Theater (BAHLT) will expand capacity with the hiring of a collection specialist and the assistance of interns to facilitate archival processing and digitization of 15,000 high-priority items and creating a community interface using artificial intelligence (AI). Project activities include recruiting six graduate students who will receive intensive, paid professional mentorship and establishing a peer network of 20 community volunteers who are residents of the tri-county area to be selected for a certification program in archival basics. The project outcomes include the creation of durable, high-resolution digital surrogates of fragile physical artifacts, connecting archival interns and peer preservationists into a professional workflow at BAHLT, and the continued integration of an AI platform that will shift the archive from a passive repository to an active, conversational resource.