BATON ROUGE - Louisiana State University School of Information Studies was awarded a $91,430 National Leadership Grant for Libraries from the Institute of Museum and Library Services to support Vietnam-era veterans' recordkeeping. 

The two-year planning project, named the Virtual Footlocker Project 2, will create a program for librarians, archivists and Veteran Service Organizations to help veterans document and preserve their personal and service records. 

"This project builds on years of work connecting veterans with the tools to tell their own stories," interim director of SIS Edward Benoit said. 

The new project expands upon the previous Virtual Footlocker Project, which developed resources for post-2000 service members and recent veterans to create and maintain personal record collections known as "Love-Me Binders" that contained service documents, photos, journals and awards, helping veterans preserve their identities after service.

"Our goal is to ensure that the experiences and memories of Vietnam-era veterans are preserved for their families, their communities and for history." 

The project aims to save the legacy of Vietnam veterans by adapting recordkeeping tools to meet the needs of veterans whose materials are mostly physical.

Veterans' personal and official records play an essential role in their wellness, supporting legacy, access to care and community connection.