The Oregon Encyclopedia
Encyclopedia
The Oregon Encyclopedia of History and Culture is a collaborative encyclopedia, under development, focused on the history of the U.S. state
of Oregon
. The encyclopedia is a project of Portland State University
's History Department and the Oregon Historical Society
. It has drawn support from Oregon Cultural Trust
partners Oregon Arts Commission
, Oregon Council for the Humanities, Oregon Cultural Heritage Commission
, and the Oregon State Historic Preservation Office.
It was announced on February 14, 2008, Oregon's 149th birthday. The project was initially launched as an online publication, with plans to eventually publish it in book form. The project originally aimed to produce about 3,000 articles; as of May 2009, it had a total of about 250, with a number of other articles still in the editing process.
The encyclopedia's development director, Sherry Manning, estimated the cost would be between $1 million and $2 million. A few days before the announcement date, over $175,000 had been raised and another $500,000 was pending.
One of the project's three editors, Bill Lang, a professor of history at Portland State University, said one goal is to produce an online encyclopedia of Oregon's history "deep into the future." Lang also said the Oregon Encyclopedia will be like a traditional encyclopedia based on verified facts, but with "stuff no one knows about. Yet." Lang contrasted the project with Wikipedia, which he suggested was not based on verified facts.
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
. The encyclopedia is a project of Portland State University
Portland State University
Portland State University is a public state urban university located in downtown Portland, Oregon, United States. Founded in 1946, it has the largest overall enrollment of any university in the state of Oregon, including undergraduate and graduate students. It is also the only public university in...
's History Department and the Oregon Historical Society
Oregon Historical Society
The Oregon Historical Society is an organization that encourages and promotes the study and understanding of the history of the Oregon Country, within the broader context of U.S. history. Incorporated in 1898, the Society collects, preserves, and makes available materials of historical character...
. It has drawn support from Oregon Cultural Trust
Oregon Cultural Trust
Oregon Cultural Trust is a cultural promotion and preservation organization in the U.S. state of Oregon. It provides grants and funding to arts, humanities, and heritage organizations to stabilize and expand....
partners Oregon Arts Commission
Oregon Arts Commission
The Oregon Arts Commission is a governor-appointed body of nine commissioners who allocate grants for artists based in the U.S. state of Oregon. It receives the bulk of its funding through the National Endowment for the Arts, the state, and the Oregon Cultural Trust.-History:Established in 1967,...
, Oregon Council for the Humanities, Oregon Cultural Heritage Commission
Oregon Cultural Heritage Commission
The Oregon Cultural Heritage Commission is a non-profit organization based in the U.S. state of Oregon. The commission was formed in 1991 in order to discover and commemorate important literary and cultural contributions to Oregon's history. The group does this through publications and other...
, and the Oregon State Historic Preservation Office.
It was announced on February 14, 2008, Oregon's 149th birthday. The project was initially launched as an online publication, with plans to eventually publish it in book form. The project originally aimed to produce about 3,000 articles; as of May 2009, it had a total of about 250, with a number of other articles still in the editing process.
The encyclopedia's development director, Sherry Manning, estimated the cost would be between $1 million and $2 million. A few days before the announcement date, over $175,000 had been raised and another $500,000 was pending.
One of the project's three editors, Bill Lang, a professor of history at Portland State University, said one goal is to produce an online encyclopedia of Oregon's history "deep into the future." Lang also said the Oregon Encyclopedia will be like a traditional encyclopedia based on verified facts, but with "stuff no one knows about. Yet." Lang contrasted the project with Wikipedia, which he suggested was not based on verified facts.