The Portland Public Library has received a $100,000 gift for the Portland Room, a special research and preservation center dedicated to the city’s history.

The money will go toward digitization equipment to make fragile materials accessible online, more display cases so the collection can travel to all library branches, and new workshops.

The library also plans to buy a sound booth and podcasting equipment to “capture personal histories of Portland residents and create historical records for the future,” according to a news release.

“This gift underscores the importance of investing in Portland’s stories, not only preserving history but making it possible for more people to discover themselves within it,” executive director Sarah Moore said in the release. “It strengthens the library’s role as a steward of Portland’s past and a partner in shaping its future.”

Kail Partin, the library’s marketing director, said the donation will be combined with funds from an earlier unrestricted gift dedicated to updating its public spaces.

“This is a significant gift for the Portland Public Library,” Partin wrote in an email. “Most of our donations are modest in size, and this contribution is roughly 10 times larger than our average gift. It stands among the largest gifts the library has received in the past five years.”

The Portland Room contains printed books, archival documents, manuscripts, local periodicals, maps, photographs and directories that highlight the city’s history and development. For information about how to visit or use the research space, go to portlandlibrary.com or call 207-771-2747.