September 2008 Native American Library Services Enhancement Grant Announcement

Alaska  |  California  |  Michigan  |  Montana  |  Nevada  |  New Mexico  |  North Dakota 

Oklahoma  |  Texas  |  Washington 

Alaska

Sealaska Corporation - Juneau, AK
Award Amount: $148,375

Contact: Mr. Zachary Jones
Archivist
907-586-9261; zachary.jones@sealaska.com

Project Title: "Project Ka-li-gaas? (Project Moving Upward)"
On behalf of the Sealaska Corporation, the Sealaska Heritage Institute will pursue Project Ka-li-gaas’. The Tlingit phrase Ka-li-gaas’ captures the idea of moving upward. Project Ka-li-gaas' seeks to move upward and raise the effectiveness of the Sealaska library in two ways. First, it will implement an online archival catalog that will provide online finding aids of all the library's archival and ethnographic collections. Second, the project will begin the process of creating an online catalog of Sealaska's book collection by joining the CCLIC (Capital Cities Library Information Center), a catalog that is shared by the Juneau Public Library, the Alaska State Library, the University of Alaska/Southeast, and other libraries in the Juneau City and Borough area.

Sitka Tribe of Alaska - Sitka, AK
Award Amount: $139,136

Contact: Ms. Helen Dangel Lorrigan
Resources Protection Director
907-747-7469; hdangel@sitkatribe.org

Project Title: "Treasures in the Attic: Preserving the Audio Recordings of Our Elders"
The Sitka Tribe of Alaska will undertake the Treasures in the Attic project to digitize, translate, and transcribe Tlingit recordings and develop curriculum materials. Small collections of audio and video recordings dating from as early as the 1950s have been identified in private holdings and will be donated to the Sitka Tribe Archival Repository (STAR) Library. The community of Sitka, researchers, and educators are interested in accessing these treasures, but they first need to be digitized. This project plans for community participation, preservation and archival activities, digitization for library and internet access, and curriculum development. Oral history and traditional knowledge from this area will be added to the information available to scientists and researchers, as well as community members who want to research family connections that have been lost.

California

Bear River Band of the Rohnerville Rancheria - Loleta, CA
Award Amount: $135,571

Contact: Mr. Nick Angeloff
Tribal Historic Preservation Officer
707-733-1900 ext. 233; thpo@bearrivertribe.com

Project Title: "Bear River Band Library Enhancement Grant"
The Bear River Band of the Rohnerville Rancheria, in response to a recent community survey and assessment, will meet the information needs of the tribe by hiring a library consultant to catalog and automate the existing collection and train current and new local staff in the ongoing operation of the library. Collection development will be carried out in collaboration with tribal departments and community members, developing increased interest in, and commitment to, the library. With new computer workstations, extended hours, and a library Web site providing access to materials in-house and online, the project will fulfill the needs voiced by the community.

Torres Martinez Band of Cahuilla Mission Indians - Thermal, CA
Award Amount: $130,130

Contact: Ms. Luisa Armijo
Tribal Education/Library Director
760-397-0300 ext. 113; larmijo@torresmartinez.org

Project Title: "Torres Martinez Library "Spreading the Word Project""
With the Spreading the Word project, the Torres Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indians, will continue their very active programming in the Education/Library Center with a Native Literature Reading Skills program that will integrate Indian literature into the Accelerated Reader program for afterschool enrichment. The library will also implement Saturday Cultural Reading workshops and an Adult Noontime Reading Hour. Cultural experts from the community will conduct many of these activities. A Spring Vacation Science Camp promises to provide education and entertainment for Torres Martinez’s children. In addition, a cataloging team will be hired to complete the automation of the library’s collection for online access.

Tuolumne Band of Me-Wuk Indians - Tuolumne, CA
Award Amount: $149,992

Contact: Ms. Donna Douglass
Director of Educational and Recreational Services
209-928-5333; ddouglass@mlode.com

Project Title: "Tuolumne Band of Me-Wuk Indians: Enhancement Project"
After its successful efforts to improve high school graduation rates, the Tuolumne Band of Me-Wuk Indians is ready to expand its library from a K-12 focus to serve all community members with a broad range of materials. Space within the education building will be transformed to facilitate this expanded function. A contract librarian will be hired to organize and automate the existing collection, add new materials, and train local staff in the ongoing operation of a full-fledged public library. Expanded hours, computers with Internet access, and new furnishings will create a welcoming environment for the public at large and also for tribal members pursuing advanced training in order to assume tribal leadership roles in the future.

Michigan

Keweenaw Bay Indian Community - Baraga, MI
Award Amount: $120,374

Contact: Mrs. Mary Bergerson
Library Director
906-353-8163; kbocclib@up.net

Project Title: "Keweenaw Bay Indian Community Elder Wiidookodaadig (Help Each Other) Project"
The Ojibwa Community Library at the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community will focus on expanding and enhancing existing library services to senior and disabled tribal members. Project staff will implement in-home outreach services to home bound and limited mobility members, provide portable visual and audio assistance equipment, establish a collection of large-print books and periodicals, expand library services and assistive technology into the senior center, and improve accessibility through expanded evening and weekend hours. The project will improve the overall quality of life for senior, visually challenged, and home bound community members, providing increased opportunities and abilities to access the library's informational, educational, recreational, and cultural resources.

Montana

Fort Belknap Indian Community - Harlem, MT
Award Amount: $149,603

Contact: Ms. Eva English
Library Director
406-353-2607 ext. 281; evaenglish@yahoo.com

Project Title: "Meeting Community Needs through Library Environment Improvement and Outreach Services Expansion"
On behalf of the Fort Belknap Indian Community the Fort Belknap College Library, also serving the general Fort Belknap community, will purchase furnishings and shelving for a new library building funded through the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Department of Education. Ten computers with the latest technology will be added for public use, and library staff will provide training on computer and information literacy. Outreach to the communities of Hays and Lodgepole will include monthly informational meetings and an informal “bookmobile” service. A Children’s Group will meet twice a week for 45 weeks during the year, providing fun educational opportunities during the afterschool hours.

Nevada

Ely Shoshone Tribe of Nevada - Ely, NV
Award Amount: $71,587

Contact: Ms. Debra Ward
Librarian
775-289-6907; debbie177@sbcglobal.net

Project Title: "Increasing Tribal Library Resources and Services"
The Ely Shoshone Tribe of Nevada will use its grant to expand the tribal library’s collections and purchase library automation software to catalog and organize materials, providing easy access for the public. With a recent donation of computer equipment, the library will be able to hire a trainer under this grant to offer community members in-depth instruction on word processing, spreadsheet, and graphics software programs that will help improve school and work performance. Project staff will establish partnerships with local libraries to maximize resource sharing in this rural area.

Yerington Paiute Tribe - Yerington, NV
Award Amount: $145,762

Contact: Ms. Pam Abercrombie
Education Director
775-463-3755; edudir22@yahoo.com

Project Title: "Yerington Paiute Tribe Library Enhancement Project"
The Yerington Paiute Tribe, Yerington, NV, will use their grant to strengthen the tribal library’s outreach programs and services in response to community needs. A Learning Center Coordinator will be hired to implement programming in which tribal elders and community experts will give hands-on presentations centered on cultural aspects of the Yerington Paiute Tribe. With new computer equipment and upgraded Internet connectivity, project staff will train community members in computer and information literacy. A job developer will conduct workshops to teach unemployed community members skills needed to write a resume, find job opportunities, and interview successfully. In addition, the Learning Center will coordinate with the local library system and schools to deliver comprehensive tutoring support for students in need of assistance.

New Mexico

Pueblo of Santa Clara - Espanola, NM
Award Amount: $75,000

Contact: Ms. Teresa Naranjo
Library Director
505-753-7326 ext. 247; sclib@santaclarapueblo.org

Project Title: "Facets of Literacy Development through Culture and Library Enhancement"
The Pueblo of Santa Clara Community Library will implement an initiative focused on early childhood reading readiness. The library staff received training through a current Pueblo of Pojoaque Enhancement Grant to implement the Every Child Ready to Read Program. They will adapt this program to their own community and teach parents and other caregivers how to help their children become successful readers and learners. They will also build on the intergenerational elder/child activities of the Tewa Language Program by integrating it with the Relatives as Parents Program, which works with grandparents serving as surrogate parents. A series of storytelling programs featuring traditional Tewa stories appropriate for the season and tales from other cultures using puppetry, music, and drama will entertain and educate Santa Clara children.

Pueblo of Jemez - Jemez Pueblo, NM
Award Amount: $143,262

Contact: Ms. Tamara Sandia
Librarian
505-834-9171; indiantam@hotmail.com

Project Title: "Native American Library Services Enhancement Grant"
The Jemez Community Library in the Pueblo of Jemez will provide a wide variety of activities geared to school success and lifelong learning, including afterschool tutoring for every grade level, computer literacy classes for all ages, Family Literacy Nights for parents and children to read together, traditional arts classes, and story sessions conducted in the Towa language. Through the Jemez Library Consortium, the project staff will train early childhood education teachers about the Raising Early Readers program and will offer Parents Nights focused on parenting skills and child development. Video gaming will be available for older youth; jobseekers will have Internet resources for their job searches; and students will be able to take advantage of distance learning opportunities.

North Dakota

Standing Rock Sioux Tribe - Fort Yates, ND
Award Amount: $132,604

Contact: Mr. Mark Holman
Library Director
701-854-8024; markh@sbci.edu

Project Title: "Sitting Bull College Library Revitalization and Archives Project"
On behalf of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, Sitting Bull College Library, serving also as the community’s public library, will use its grant to purchase furnishings for its new library building, extend hours and service by adding a full-time staff person, pull together a vast number of Standing Rock historical documents, and gather and display 45 unique photographs of Sitting Bull. The various elements of this project are in response to priorities identified by the community, including increased library service and hours. In addition, community members, students, and researchers studying the history of the Standing Rock Sioux will now be able to access primary documents, including Census and agency records, military and church records, newspapers, and personal papers without having to travel to distant archives. And, with the display of Sitting Bull photographs in the new library, community members will be able to reconnect with their revered leader and ancestor.

Oklahoma

Miami Tribe of Oklahoma - Miami, OK
Award Amount: $149,962

Contact: Ms. Karen Alexander
Library Director
918-542-4505; kalexander@myaamia.org

Project Title: "Miami Tribe of Oklahoma Library/Legacy Archives 2008 Enhancement Grant"
The Miami Tribe of Oklahoma will use its grant to continue two successful projects and add new initiatives in response to community needs. Project staff will continue an oral history project that is documenting the ways in which local tribal leadership have worked together over the years. They will also enhance the multi-tribe library consortium known as the CHARLIE Network by adding library automation software and providing a circuit-rider librarian. New initiatives include providing access to genealogical information through databases and resource materials; starting an online book club for Miami tribal members nationwide focusing on Miami themes; producing calendars highlighting the CHARLIE libraries to increase community awareness of their services; implementing a summer reading program in collaboration with the Leonard Learning Center; and producing a self-published booklet of Miami poetry to be used at the tribe’s summer Miami Language Camp as a model for students to express themselves in the Miami language.

Texas

Ysleta Del Sur Pueblo of Texas - El Paso, TX
Award Amount: $127,923

Contact: Mr. Luis Nunez
Tribal Empowerment Program Director
915-872-8648; lnunez@ydsp-nsn.gov

Project Title: "Technology Library Innovations for Education (T-LIFE)"
Ysleta del Sur Pueblo of Texas will implement the T-Life program (Technology Library Innovations for Education) by integrating the Tigua/IBM Achievement Center into the Tribal Empowerment Program, which is a recent consolidation of the Tigua Indian Training and Employment Program and the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo Education/Library Center. This project will take the library center a step further by integrating technology at all levels in order to increase its youth enrichment, college/vocational prep, and adult personal development services. The grant will support a new position of technology coordinator who will be responsible for implementing and monitoring computer activities and programs for all ages in the library and computer classroom.

Washington

Makah Indian Tribe - Neah Bay, WA
Award Amount: $75,000

Contact: Ms. Janine Bowechop
Executive Director
360-645-2711; mcrcjanine@centurytel.net

Project Title: "Read the Story, Tell the Story, Live the Life"
On behalf of the Makah Indian Tribe, the Makah Cultural and Research Center (MCRC) will focus its grant activities on Makah Head Start students from three to five years old and the elders of the community. The project staff will teach the children how to create their own culturally based books to take home, instilling at an early age a sense of pride in reading, writing, and storytelling. Elders, parents, and teachers will read and tell culturally relevant stories to the Head Start students throughout the year. In addition, 75 elders will be taught how to document their own life stories in scrapbook-style “Makah Memories” books. The elders will keep the originals; copies will be added to the MCRC collection. Makah history will be preserved by documenting memories of the elders, who are primary sources of cultural knowledge and wisdom.