Tompkins History Center showcases HistoryForge and new online collections portal

Ben Sandberg of the Tompkins History Center presented two digital initiatives to the Government Operations Committee on Dec. 4: HistoryForge, a transcription and mapping application built from individual‑level census records through 1950, and a newly launched online collections catalog that will eventually host thousands of digitized items including oral histories.

Sandberg said federal funding that previously supported the program has largely disappeared this year, and the center is developing subscription and data‑storage pricing models for partner organizations to make the project sustainable. He described HistoryForge as a free tool (historyforge.net) that allows users to search addresses and pull up all residents recorded at that location in a given census year; the platform has been adopted in several other counties and cultural organizations.

Sandberg displayed the new catalog (launched in December) and said it currently lists 244 archival collections, 131 photograph collections and 66 objects, with plans to expand to more than 400 archival collections, 1,200 maps, 20,000 objects and 200+ oral histories over time. He highlighted an intergenerational volunteer effort — high‑school students paired with older transcribers — that supports the transcription work.

Committee members praised the work, asked about the scale of lost federal funding and revenue models, and discussed outreach to Veterans Resource Fair and partnerships with local historical societies. Sandberg said the center is working to develop longer‑term operating models that reduce reliance on short‑term federal grants.

Outcome: informational presentation; committee expressed support and recognition of the center’s digital projects.