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| Vol.
11, No. 2; February 2009 |
| Civil Rights Digital Libraries Enhance Americans’ Understanding of Important Era |
 The Civil Rights Digital Library by the University of Georgia in Athens gathers together many of the nation’s civil rights collections through its ambitious Web portal, while the Crossroads to Freedom Digital Library at Rhodes College, Memphis, Tennessee, uses its hometown collections to stimulate a community conversation on the impact of the civil rights movement on Memphians. The projects demonstrate how digital libraries can preserve and extend access to important historical collections and serve as a valuable resource for teaching, learning, research, and community engagement. Read more.
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| Director's
Message |
|  Excitement permeates our offices as we prepare for the 10th annual WebWise Conference on Libraries and Museums in the Digital World. The free conference, which is 'sold out’ as usual, brings together 300 museum and library professionals from across the country to address the development of technological and digital resources and their impact on museums, libraries, and other cultural organizations. This year’s conference, Digital Debates, explores the legal, strategic, and programming challenges that emerging technologies pose for museums and libraries.
WebWise, cohosted by the Wolfsonian Florida International University of Miami Beach, will take place on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. The timing and location is an auspicious choice in light of the new Obama Administration’s support of “innovative tools, methods, and systems.” In a January 21 memo to the heads of executive departments and agencies published in the Federal Register, the new Administration describes its desire to ensure the public trust and establish a system of transparency, public participation, and collaboration. It calls on government agencies to harness new technologies to put information about their operations and decisions online and readily available to the public and to solicit public feedback to identify information of greatest use to the public. Within 120 days from the memo’s issue date, government agencies will have guidance how to implement the administration’s principles.
IMLS is ahead of the curve but we still need your feedback. I hope you will contact us with ideas about how IMLS can serve you by using new technologies. Please send your comments to webmaster@imls.gov. In the meantime, I would like to remind you of the ways that IMLS has already adopted new technologies.
- Web casts. Those who cannot attend IMLS conferences and events—such as WebWise and our Connecting to Collections National Tour forums—can watch sessions online through Web casts available in the multimedia center.
- RSS Feed. Subscribers to the IMLS RSS Feed will receive immediate notice of new content on our Web site, including press releases, Project Profiles, publications, and more.
- WebWise 2.0: The Power of Community. In addition to the conference Web cast, the proceedings book from the 2008 conference is now available (printed copies can be requested by e-mailing imlsinfo@imls.gov), and select full-text papers are available on the online journal First Monday.
- Podcasts and streaming video. Additional resources available in the multimedia center include the Connecting to Collections video, podcasts of our National Medals Symposia, and video highlights of our National Medal winners.
Anne-Imelda M. Radice, IMLS Director
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| The
Latest News |
First Comprehensive US Government Report on Museum Public Finance Reveals Complex Funding Patchwork
The Institute of Museum and Library Services released, Exhibiting Public Value: Government Funding for Museums in the United States. The study provides the first major review of public finance for the museum sector. It explores public support from federal, state, and local government sources, focusing particular attention on levels of financial support and types of delivery mechanisms. Download, view, and print the report in a pdf file: http://www.imls.gov/pdf/MuseumPublicFinance.pdf (2.4 MB) |
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Treasures Preserved with Grants from the IMLS American Heritage Preservation Program
The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) announces 53 recipients of the new American Heritage Preservation Program. The program, created in a partnership between IMLS and the Bank of America Charitable Foundation, awards museums, libraries, and archives individual grants of up to $3,000 to preserve treasures that convey the essential character and experience of the United States. Click here to view the winners of this year’s grants.
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IMLS Announces 2009 Award of 23 Connecting to Collections: Statewide Planning Grants
The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) awarded 23 Connecting to Collections: Statewide Planning Grants that will be used to create statewide conservation plans for collections held in libraries, museums, and archives. Click here to view the winners of this year’s grants.
Read more
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Last Chance to Apply for IMLS Connecting to Collections Bookshelf
Deadline: March 9, 2009
IMLS is offering a third round of competition to distribute an additional 1000 Bookshelves, a core set of books, DVDs, online resources, and an annotated bibliography that are essential to the care of collections. The IMLS Bookshelf focuses on collections typically found in art or history museums and in libraries' special collections, with an added selection of texts for zoos, aquaria, public gardens, and nature centers. Applications can be submitted to AASLH until March 9, 2009 at: www.aaslh.org/Bookshelf. |
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Apply for Native American Library Services: Basic Grants and Basic Grants with Education/Assessment Option
Deadline: March 2, 2009
The Native American Library Services Basic Grants are distributed equally among eligible applicants. Basic Grants are available to support existing library operations and maintain core library services. The Education/Assessment Option is supplemental to the Basic Grant. It also is noncompetitive and must be requested. For more information, please go to: http://www.imls.gov/applicants/grants/nativeAmerican.shtm. |
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Apply for 21st Century Museum Professionals Grants
Deadline: March 16
Museum professionals need high levels of knowledge and expertise as they help create public value for the communities they serve. The purpose of the 21st Century Museum Professionals program is to increase the capacity of museums to care for their collections and serve the public by improving the knowledge and skills of museum professionals. (Deadline extended to March 30, 2009 for any institution within an area that has received either a “Major Disaster Declaration” or an “Emergency Declaration” by FEMA within 12 months prior to the grant deadline. For applicants to the 21st Century Museum Professionals Grants program, this would mean that the museum must be in an area that received the “Major Disaster Declaration” or the “Emergency Declaration” after March 16, 2008.) For more information, please go to: http://www.imls.gov/applicants/grants/21centuryMuseums.shtm. |
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Apply for Native American/Native Hawaiian Museum Services
Deadline: April 1, 2009
The Native American/Native Hawaiian Museum Services program promotes enhanced learning and innovation within museums and museum-related organizations, such as cultural centers. The program provides opportunities for Native American tribes and Native Hawaiian organizations to sustain heritage, culture, and knowledge through strengthened museum services. (Deadline extended to April 15, 2009 for any institution within an area that has received either a “Major Disaster Declaration” or an “Emergency Declaration” by FEMA within 12 months prior to the grant deadline. For applicants to the Native American/Native Hawaiian Museum Services program, this would mean that the museum must be in an area that received the “Major Disaster Declaration” or the “Emergency Declaration” after April 1, 2008.) For more information, go to: http://www.imls.gov/applicants/grants/nativeServices.shtm. |
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Apply for Native American Library Services: Enhancement Grants
Deadline: May 1, 2009
Enhancement Grants support projects to enhance existing, or implement new, library services, particularly as they relate to the goals of the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA). Indian tribes and Alaska Native villages are eligible to apply for the Enhancement Grants only if they have applied for a Native American Library Services Basic Grant in the same fiscal year. For more information, please go to: http://www.imls.gov/applicants/grants/nativeEnhance.shtm. |
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| IMLS
on the Road |
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“IMLS Grant Opportunities,” Twinet G. Kimbrough, Museum Program Specialist, Small Museum Association Annual Conference, Ocean City, MD, February 22-24.
“Stayin’ Alive,” Robert Trio, Program Specialist, West Virginia Association of Museums, Bridgeport, WV, March 19.
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About the Institute of
Museum and Library Services
The Institute of Museum and Library Services is an independent
federal grant-making agency dedicated to creating strong libraries
and museums that connect people to information and ideas.
Learn more
about the Institute. |
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Grants.gov
In FY2009, applicants for all programs will be required to
use Grants.gov. Learn
more about applying online through Grants.gov. |
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Each issue of Primary Source contains brief articles that alert readers to new information about grants, monthly highlights of best practices, and important agency news with links to more detailed information on the Web site. View the latest issue now.
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