Towson University (Albert S. Cook Library)

Towson University’s Albert S. Cook Library, with Brandeis University Library, will implement a community program for education on Holocaust disinformation, supported by Jewish Cultural Reconstruction (JCR) books. The Jewish Cultural Reconstruction organization distributed approximately 160,000 of the over half a million books, periodicals, and ritual objects that had been seized from Jewish communities following World War II. Many, however, remain unidentified due to inconsistent cataloging practices. The grant will develop, test, and share best practices and digital tools for book identification and cataloging, and partner with museums, schools, universities, and other cultural institutions to create Holocaust education programming using these books. Outcomes will include cemented best practices for locating, cataloging, and describing JCR books; a shared catalog or database of JCR materials; guides and best practices for reaching out to community museums, institutions, and partners regarding program participation, including sample marketing materials; and a foundational report summarizing the grant’s results.