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This Digital Library website is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provision of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by the state of Missouri.

The Missouri Historical Society Library received a $19,274 federal IMLS/LSTA grant for this digitization project, The Universal Exposition – 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair Official History. The federal funds were used to create a digital copy of the 1913 publication of David R. Francis’s The Universal Exposition of 1904 for the centennial celebration of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition in 2004.

The 1904 World’s Fair is one of the most popular topics at the Missouri Historical Society Library. Out of the Society’s many resources, the two-volume Universal Exposition was chosen as the premier digitization project. Over 320 pages of illustrations were scanned and indexed, and over 800 pages of text were scanned and made searchable by key word.

This grant also enabled the Missouri Historical Society to build an infrastructure for future digital projects based on our collections of historic information

Under federal legislation, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, through the Library Services and Technology Act of 1996, provides funds to State Libraries using a population-based formula. State libraries may use the appropriation to support statewide initiatives and services; they may also distribute the funds through subgrant competitions or cooperative agreements to public academic, research, school, and special libraries. Federal funds support primarily activities using technology for information sharing between libraries and other community services. It also funds programs making library resources more accessible to urban, rural, or low income residents, or others who have difficulty using library services. For more information about the federal IMLS/LSTA grants, please visit the IMLS Web site at www.imls.gov or contact your state library.