Queens Memory Project Collection

The Queens Memory Project (QMP) is a collaborative digital archive that seeks to document the day-to-day life and history of Queens, the most diverse county in the United States. The archive originated in June 2010 as an independent study project of Natalie Milbrodt, then a student and Archives Fellow in Queens College’s Graduate School of Library and Information Studies. Although the initial collection focused on the Waldheim section of Flushing, the project quickly expanded its scope, gaining support from both Queens College and the Queens (Public) Library. This team successfully applied for a digitization grant from the New York Metropolitan Library Council (METRO) and, by the fall of 2011, the QMP website went live with approximately 300 audio and visual records. From 2010 to 2012, Queens College was the main partner in the collaboration. In October 2012, the Archives at Queens (Public) Library became the lead partner, hiring Milbrodt as its Digital Content and Strategy Coordinator. Queens College remains a key team member, and partnerships with other organizations have been pursued as well. Past and present partners include the Queens Historical Society, the Queens Council on the Arts, the Queens General Assembly, StoryCorps, and Historypin.org. Many individual volunteers also contribute to the project.

From QMP’s inception, oral history interviews have been the primary organizational focus. Artifacts such as photographs, documents, news clippings, and ephemera generally are selected to lend context to topics discussed in the interviews. Physical items that are digitally reproduced on the site come from a variety of sources, including existing collections of both Queens College and the Queens (Public) Library. Some items are donated directly to the project, while many more are loaned for digitization and remain privately owned.