Blog and Newsletter

MAC is soliciting applications for the 2020 Archie Motley Memorial Scholarship for Students of Color (http://www.midwestarchives.org/motley). The scholarship is designed to provide financial assistance to students of color pursuing graduate education in archival administration and to encourage ethnic diversification of the MAC membership and of the archival profession as a whole. Two $750 scholarships, accompanied by one-year memberships to MAC, will be awarded. 

In order to be eligible for a scholarship, the applicant must be of African, American Indian, Asian or Pacific Islander, or Latinx decent; must be a student currently enrolled in or accepted in a graduate, multicourse program in archival administration; and must have a grade point average of at least 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) in their academic program. If the program is not listed in the SAA Directory of Archival Education, http://www2.archivists.org/dae, the applicant must provide proof of the multicourse standard by submitting copies of course descriptions from the institution’s current departmental catalog. The applicant must also be either a resident of the MAC region or registered in a qualified program, onsite or online, that is based in the MAC region.

Applications are due March 1, 2020 and must include the following documents:

• Completed Application Form (pdf), available at http://www.midwestarchives.org/motley

• Transcript from the applicant's most recent academic program (unofficial transcript is acceptable)

• Essay of not more than 500 words outlining the applicant's interests and future goals in archival administration

• Two letters of recommendation.

Completed applications should be sent to:

Lara Friedman-Shedlov

Description and Access Archivist

Kautz Family YMCA Archives

University of Minnesota Libraries

318 Elemer L. Andersen Library

222 21st Ave S, Ste 318

Minneapolis, MN 55405

Telephone: 612-626-7972

Email: Ldfs@umn.edu

Applications must be emailed or postmarked by March 1, 2020. 

Awards will be announced no later than June 1, 2020.

Native American Library Services Grants Open for Application

Deadline is April 1, 2020

WASHINGTON, DC—The Institute of Museum and Library Services is now accepting applications for the Native American Library Services Basic grants program through April 1, 2020. Native American Library Services Basic grants are noncompetitive one-year grants of $6,000 to $10,000, which can include up to $3,000 in eligible education and assessment activities or travel. The grants are available to federally recognized Native American tribes and Native Alaskan villages, corporations, and regional corporations and are designed to support existing operations and maintain core services of tribal and Native village libraries. Grants may be used to buy library materials, fund salaries and training, provide internet connectivity and computers, or develop public and private partnerships with other agencies and community-based organizations, among other things. Libraries may request up to $3,000 for staff to attend library courses or training workshops; attend or present at conferences related to library services; or hire consultants for onsite professional library assessments. Application materials can be found on the grant program page. To Learn More: Before applying, IMLS recommends interested applicants participate in the following webinars for Native American Basic grants to learn more: Wednesday, January 15, 2020: 3:30-4:30 p.m. ET Tuesday, February 11, 2020: 4:00-5:00 p.m. ET IMLS uses the Blackboard Collaborate system. For first-time users of Blackboard, please see the webinar page for technical information. These events will also be recorded and made available on-demand on the IMLS website. Program Contacts: For questions about project activities, eligibility, and allowability of costs, contact: Dr. Sandra Toro, Senior Program Officer 202-653-4662 storo@imls.gov For questions about application requirements and deadlines, contact: Chelsea Cole, Program Specialist 202-653-4719 ccole@imls.gov Sarah Boonie, Program Specialist 202-653-4761 sboonie@imls.gov Photo Credit: Aaniiih Nakoda College Library

Our buddies down to Boston, the New England Museum Association, are collecting workforce information from museums across New England - all-volunteer institutions included!

This data will be compiled into final report, which they will publish early next year.  Organizations that participate receive a free copy ($100 value!).

Complete details about the Survey, including a General Information and Survey Preview Worksheet, can be found here, nemanet.org/salary-survey. They strongly encourage participants to download the preview of the survey before starting the online survey. 

The submission deadline is November 22, 2019.

A newly-formed nonprofit organization, The Maine State Carousel, Inc., is searching for an organization to host a hand-carved carousel, to be built, which will celebrate the history and landscape of Maine. 

For more information on this new organization's work, visit their website: www.mainestatecarousel.org.

CALL FOR PAPERS

Maine in the Statehood Era (ca. 1780s-1820s) and its Commemoration and Legacy

A volume of scholarly essays to be edited by Richard Judd (McBride Professor of History, emeritus, Univ. of Maine) and Liam Riordan (Professor of History, Univ. of Maine)

To mark the bicentennial of the state of Maine in 2020, the co-editors seek essays on any aspect of Maine history in the broad statehood era (ca. 1780s-1820s) or about the commemoration of statehood and its legacy. We anticipate accepting several papers that were presented at the Maine Statehood and Bicentennial Conference (held May 30-June 1, 2019), but we also seek submissions from those who did not present at (or attend) the conference.

Possible topics include but are not limited to:

Submission Schedule:

• Nov. 15, 2019 submit a 300-word article proposal (state the scope, argument, and core evidence for your essay) as well as a short CV to riordan@maine.edu
• Dec. 15, 2019 notification from editors
• July 31, 2020 deadline to submit complete accepted essay (length ca. 7,500 words exclusive of notes, captions, and images)

We partly conceptualize this volume as revisiting and updating some of the approaches in Charles E. Clark, James S. Leamon, and Karen Bowden, eds., Maine in the Early Republic: From Revolution to Statehood (1988). As in that collection, we will seek funding to permit numerous illustrations, images, and the graphic presentation of data. Please consider this in making your proposal.

For videos from the Maine Bicentennial Conference in 2019, as well as links to online resources about the Maine statehood process, please visit: https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/me200/

Please direct inquiries or submit proposals to Liam Riordan at riordan@maine.edu

Are you interested in learning more about Museums for All, an initiative dedicated to expanding community access? Mark your calendar to join staff from the Institute of Museum and Library Services and the Association of Children’s Museums on December 11 at 2 p.m. Eastern to learn more about how and why more than 450 museums participate in the program. Find more information on attending the webinar on the IMLS website.

SAVE AMERICA'S TREASURES GRANTS - DEADLINE DECEMBER 10, 2019 

Save America's Treasures (SAT) grants are administered by the National Park Service in partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the National Endowment for the Humanities. 

ELIGIBLE ACTIVITIES: Preservation and/or conservation assistance to nationally significant properties and collections, including book, paper, and photographic collections. 

ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS: Nonprofit, tax-exempt 501(c)(3) US organizations; Units of local government; Federally recognized Indian Tribes, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiian organizations; Educational Institutions; Historic properties and collections associated with active religious organizations; Federal agencies funded by the Department of the Interior and Related Agencies Appropriations Act (with the exception of the National Park Service)   

AWARD LEVELS FOR COLLECTION PROJECTS:  $25,000 to $500,000 with a 1:1 match (cash or documented in-kind donations) 

DEADLINE:  December 10, 2019 

COMPLETE FY20 Information and Guidelines:  https://www.nps.gov/preservation-grants/sat/   

QUESTIONS? Contact: Megan J. Brown, State, Tribal, Local, Plans and Grants Division, National Park Service, mailto:stlpg@nps.gov,  (202) 354-2020 

2020 MAINE HISTORIC PRESERVATION MATCHING GRANTS FOR PRIVATE NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS

 The 1772 Foundation has announced that funding in the form of 1:1 matching grants of up to $10,000 will be made available for historic preservation projects.

To be eligible to apply, organizations must have a 501(c)(3) IRS designation. Organizations also must have closed any previously awarded matching grant from the 1772 Foundation to be eligible to apply. Funding will not be provided for buildings currently used as schools or houses of worship.                         

 The Foundation will consider the following projects:

• Matching grants for exterior painting, finishes and surface restoration

• Matching grants to install or upgrade fire detection, lightning protection, and security systems

• Matching grants for repairs to/restoration of porches, roofs, and windows

• Matching grants for structural foundation and sill repair/replacement

• Matching grants for chimney and masonry repointing

To demonstrate the sustainability of historic sites, applicants will be required to submit a cyclical maintenance/stewardship plan, and a condition assessment with, if needed, project phasing detail that has been prepared or updated within the last five years. If an appropriate plan does not exist, the Foundation will consider providing support for development of a plan on a case-by-case basis.

 If your organization would like to be considered, please send a one-page letter of inquiry to: info@mainepreservation.org and use 1772 Foundation in the subject line.

 The letter should include:

• the amount of your request

• the purpose of the grant including the name and address of the historic resource for which project funding will be used

• the matching funds you have or plan to have in place by February 17, 2020

• the time frame for project completion

• ownership status (own or lease) for the site

• a current photograph that best shows the site condition with a file size of no greater than 1.5MB

• the website address for the site/organization.

 Letters of inquiry will be accepted until November 29, 2019.

Invited applications will be due February 17, 2020.

Please note that not all letters of inquiry will result in invitations to submit full applications.

For more information: https://www.mainepreservation.org/grant-programs-2020/2019/9/23/1772-foundation-grants-for-maine-historic-preservation-projects

A FOUR-STATE INITIATIVE TO SUPPORT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT THROUGH PRESERVATION

The Northern Heritage Economy Program (NHEP) is a collaborative initiative of the Maine Preservation, the Preservation League of New York State, New Hampshire Preservation Alliance, and the Preservation Trust of Vermont. This grant program is funded with a $1,000,000 grant from the Northern Border Regional Commission (NBRC) through their Regional Forest Economy Partnership program, with $250,000 allocated to Maine. We anticipate awarding grants of $25,000-$100,000 to eligible projects.

The NHEP will provide grants to community-driven preservation projects to address the negative economic shift produced by the decline of the forest products industry in the rural areas of the Northern Border Regional Commission region (Maine, New Hampshire, New York, Vermont).

Applications will open later this fall. Read on to learn about the program and to request information.

ABOUT THE PROGRAM

Program Goal: Revitalize vacant and underused historic buildings in rural communities to stimulate economic development and tourism, build community cohesion, and create jobs in areas suffering from the decline of the forest products industry.

Program Strategy: Provide seed money to nonprofit or municipal grantees to create and/or enhance “third places” in rural communities where people gather, exchange ideas, experience culture, build relationships, and create community. These places help to make communities a desirable place to live, work, and start a business and include public spaces, such as libraries and community centers providing critical resources for workforce development training, and cultural and arts centers offering classes, performances and partnerships.

In Maine, grants may be made only for projects in the following counties: Androscoggin, Aroostook, Franklin, Hancock, Kennebec, Knox, Oxford, Penobscot, Piscataquis, Somerset, Waldo, and Washington.

All applicants must have the balance of their project funding in place, including the required match, and plan to have their project completed by July 2021.

ELIGIBLE GRANTEES MUST:

• Be an established nonprofit organization, municipality, political subdivision of state government, or federally recognized tribe in order to receive funding

• Have in-hand a 50% match of any grant requested from the NHEP at the time of application - $2 grant funds to $1 local

• Own the target property(ies) and be prepared to maintain that ownership for a minimum of twenty (20) years following the completion of the project

• Propose a project in a county eligible to receive funding (see above) from the Northern Border Regional Commission and in a community negatively impacted by at least one of the NBRC’s threshold priorities:

  • Industry changes in employment as a result of the decline of the forest industry

  • Percent change in wages in the project area

  • Location of mill and other forest-based manufacturing closings in the past 20 years

  • County population losses

ELIGIBLE PROJECTS MUST:

• Serve as a capital improvement project for a historic building

• Be completed by July 2021

• Impact rural communities suffering from the decline of the forest products industry

• Have as their focus the enhanced use, or the rehabilitation of, historic buildings using the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation

• Leverage additional public and private forms of support

• Stimulate economic development and creation of jobs

• Build local and regional partnerships

• Involve the broader community and build community cohesion

• Have a lasting and positive impact on the community

INELIGIBLE GRANTEES:

Applicants who have received NBRC funding and do not have their project 75% completed by the application deadline are not eligible to apply for a NHEP grant.

For more information, see https://www.mainepreservation.org/grant-programs-2020/2019/9/23/northern-heritage-economic-program-grants-2020

Grant Opportunities Open for Six IMLS Museum Programs

Applications Accepted Now Through November 15

Washington, DC—Museums across the United States have six opportunities in the coming months to apply for grants from the nation’s primary source of federal museum funding. The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is now accepting applications for six grant programs: Museum Grants for African American History and Culture Native American/Native Hawaiian Museum Services Inspire! Grants for Small Museums Museums for America Museums Empowered National Leadership Grants for Museums “American museums play an important cultural role in our nation, making significant contributions to improving the quality of life in their communities,” said Paula Gangopadhyay, Deputy Director of Museum Services. “IMLS grants enable museums and related organizations to strengthen their institutional capacities, expand staff professional development, explore innovative solutions to addressing relevant issues, and achieve positive outcomes for themselves and the people they serve. We are very pleased to empower museums with the FY 2020 funding opportunities so that they can continue to serve as active community partners.” Applicants should note that IMLS has made changes to deadlines for its museum grant programs for FY 2020: applications for all six programs are due on November 15, 2019. Applicants should review the notices of funding opportunity carefully to understand these program goals and changes, which align with the 2018-2022 IMLS Strategic Plan. Potential grant applicants are invited to view a webinar on how to choose the appropriate funding opportunity, as well as to learn more about specific programs. Please review thewebinar listingfor a schedule of live and pre-recorded webinars that are accessible online. IMLS staff contacts listed in each notice of funding opportunity are available to answer any questions and provide guidance during the application process.  Photo Credit: Children's Museum of Denver View this email on the IMLS website.

About the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation's libraries and museums. We advance, support, and empower America’s museums, libraries, and related organizations through grantmaking, research, and policy development. Our vision is a nation where museums and libraries work together to transform the lives of individuals and communities. To learn more, visit www.imls.gov and follow us on Facebook and Twitter. Direct comments or errors with your subscription to webmaster@imls.gov.