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Purpose – The purpose of this article is to provide examples of how partnerships can be used to build innovative digital collections. Design/methodology/approach – This article explores multiple aspects of Middle Tennessee State University’s (MTSU) Walker Library’s partnerships with the Center for Historic Preservation and MTSU’s graduate program in public history. Specific topics covered include pairing interpretive essays with groups of highly relevant images to engage students, incorporating responsive design to encourage use of mobile devices and creating an interactive map that links locations to digital content. Findings – By strengthening existing partnerships and proactively seeking new opportunities, libraries that do not have unique primary source collections can take a leading role in publishing digital history collections. Historians have been vital to the success of the Library’s digital projects, particularly those that incorporate multiple layers of historical context. Originality/value – This is one of the few articles about digital collections to cover responsive Web design (particularly within CONTENTdm), partnerships between libraries and public history academic programs and the value of multiple layers of historical context (metadata, essays matched with images and lesson plans).