Historic commission seeks city web link to Missouri Digital Heritage site for landmark documentation

Commission volunteers told the Historic Preservation Commission on May 13 they will compile and upload local landmark documentation to the Missouri Digital Heritage repository and requested the city host a straightforward link on the municipal website to direct users to the collection.

A volunteer summarized the technical plan: the commission will locate the PDFs and other documentation used in landmark nominations, upload those documents to the Missouri Digital Heritage site (the state’s digital repository), and then ask city web staff to add a link on the city’s Historic Preservation page so residents can click an address and view the associated PDF. “All you have to do is is create a link to this web page… and then they’ll all be there,” the volunteer said.

Staff and commissioners discussed logistics. City staff noted archived agendas and packet PDFs exist on the city site back to February 2016 and that some pre‑2016 records may require scanning from physical files or SharePoint. Commissioners agreed they can assemble the files and volunteers offered to bulk‑upload them to the state repository; the city’s web administrator would only need to add a link to the commission’s web page.

Commissioners said the change would help owners, architects and researchers quickly find designation documentation rather than locating scattered meeting packets. A volunteer demonstrated an existing Missouri Digital Heritage collection (the Kate Moody collection) as a model and said the state site provides a standard viewer for uploaded PDFs.

The commission concluded it will proceed with gathering the PDFs, coordinate upload to Missouri Digital Heritage and ask the city to host a single link on the Historic Preservation web page to point to the collection.