Blog and Newsletter

Washington, DC—The Institute of Museum and Library Services is now accepting FY 2022 proposals for National Leadership Grants for Libraries (NLG-L) and the Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian program (LB21). 

Applicants have through September 24, 2021, to submit their two-page preliminary proposals.

The National Leadership Grants for Libraries program supports projects that address critical needs of the library and archives fields and have the potential to advance practice in these professions to strengthen library and archival services for the American public. Successful proposals will generate results such as new models, new tools, research findings, services, practices, or alliances that will be widely used, adapted, scaled, or replicated to extend and leverage the benefits of federal investment.

The Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian program supports the development of a diverse workforce of librarians and archivists to better meet the information needs of communities being served. Program goals include recruiting, training, developing, and retaining a diverse workforce of library and archives professionals; developing faculty, library, and archives leaders by increasing the institutional capacity of libraries, archives, and of graduate programs related to library and information science; and enhancing the training and professional development of the library and archival workforce to meet the needs of their communities.

Applicants should review the notices of funding opportunity carefully and reach out to IMLS staff members listed on the NLG-L and LB21 webpages with any questions. A free on-demand informational webinar will be made available in the coming weeks on the IMLS website.

Washington, DC—The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and the Foundation for Advancement in Conservation (FAIC) today announced a new three-year cooperative agreement to provide museums with collections conservation assessments. 

Over the next three years, the Collections Assessment for Preservation (CAP) program will support general conservation assessments for 300 small and mid-sized museums in the United States. Participants will work with conservation and preservation professionals to receive prioritized recommendations for improved collections care.

Over 300 small and mid-sized museums have received a CAP assessment since FAIC began administering the program in 2016.

“Preserving museum collections is a core mission of IMLS, and our newly reminted partnership with the FAIC and their established excellence and leadership in conservation guarantees access to outstanding professional help for small and mid-size museums,” said IMLS Director Crosby Kemper.

“We are honored to continue working with IMLS to support smaller museums around the country,” stated FAIC Executive Director Eryl P. Wentworth. “The CAP program is often a critical step for museums committed to improving collections stewardship.”

The three-year agreement also provides dedicated support for Emergency CAPs to support institutions whose collections are affected by disasters.

Applications are currently open for the next round of program participants, with a deadline of September 15, 2021. Detailed application information is available at www.culturalheritage.org/cap.

Are you interested in learning more about Museums for All, an initiative dedicated to expanding community access? Join staff from the Institute of Museum and Library Services and the Association of Children’s Museums on July 13 at 2 p.m. Eastern to learn more about how and why over 675 museums participate in the program. Find more information and register to attend the informational webinar on the IMLS website.

The New England Archivists Inclusion and Diversity Committee is pleased to announce the second iteration of our contingent employment survey.  Building on the work of the first NEA contingent employment survey in 2016, we want to further understand contingent employment in the archival field.  What has changed in the past five years? What has stayed the same? How can professional organizations like NEA support contingently employed archival workers? 

The survey is available here. It will remain open through June 30, 2021.  You do not need to be a member of New England Archivists to participate in the study. 

You are eligible to participate in this study if you are an archival worker or former archival worker and:

• you have been contingently employed in New England in the past ten years (2011-2021)

OR

• you have been contingently employed anywhere in the United States in the last ten years (2011-2021) AND you are currently living or working in New England. 

For the purposes of this study, an archival worker is a professional, paraprofessional, or other employee who spends at least 25% of their time on archival work, regardless of their job title, educational background, or the type of institution where they work. 

For the purposes of this study, contingent employment includes temporary and term positions, grant-funded positions, part-time positions, positions without timely or reliable renewal of contract, and any employment without benefits colleagues at the same institution enjoy (e.g. vacation time, health insurance, retirement contributions). 

Please share widely, especially with colleagues who are not members of professional organizations and people who have left the archival field. 

If you have questions about the survey, please reach out to the chair of the survey task force, Stephanie Bredbenner, at diversity@newenglandarchivists.org.

Occupational therapy students at Grand Valley State University are conducting a survey to identify how universal design principles are applied in museum settings across the United States. The results of this study will inform re-design efforts at the Grand Rapids Public Museum to create functional and welcoming spaces for people of all abilities. Findings will also be shared on a national scale through publication.

This survey takes approximately 10-minutes to complete. To participate, you must be employed at a museum located in the United States and have direct knowledge of policies related to accessibility. This study has been approved by the Institutional Review Board at Grand Valley State University. Protocol: # 21-223-H

To access the survey, click here.

MuseumDev offers online professional development courses for museum professionals such as Writing for Exhibits or Managing Photographic Collections. They're offering a 10% discount for members of Maine Archives and Museums. For the discount code, log into the MAM website and navigate to the member discounts page.

Their upcoming courses are:

Writing for Exhibits
Instructor: Kathryn Lasdow
Dates: May 2 - 29, 2021
https://museumdev.com/products/2105-md008-writing-for-exhibits

Management of Photographic Collections
Instructor: Leigh Gleason
Dates: May 2 - 29, 2021
https://museumdev.com/collections/courses/products/2105-md001-managing-photographic-collections

Loans and Exhibits Management
Instructor: Matthew Clouse
Dates: June 6 - July 3, 2021

https://museumdev.com/collections/courses/products/2106-md007-loans-and-exhibits-management 

Label Design for Exhibits

Instructor: Margaret Middleton
Dates: July 5 - 31, 2021
https://museumdev.com/collections/courses/products/2107-md011-label-design-for-exhibits

Using Data in Museum Planning
Instructor: Emily Kalnicky
Dates: August 1 - 28, 2021
https://museumdev.com/collections/courses/products/2108-md010-using-data-in-museum-planning

Curatorial Organizational Strategies
Instructor: Kathryn Lasdow
Dates: August 1 - 28, 2021

https://museumdev.com/collections/courses/products/2108-md013-curatorial-organizational-strategies 

A second round of the NEH/AHRC New Directions for Digital Scholarship in Cultural Institutions grant program seeks to advance digital tools and methods used by museums, libraries, archives, and galleries to bring the humanities to global audiences

WASHINGTON, D.C. (April 15, 2021) — The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) today announced that it is now accepting applications for the second round of the NEH/AHRC New Directions for Digital Scholarship in Cultural Institutions. This international grant program was designed to have a transformational impact on digital methods and digital research in cultural institutions. Recipients are eligible to receive grants of up to $150,000.

The program is a joint initiative between NEH and the United Kingdom’s Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), a component body of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), and funds teams of researchers and cultural institution professionals in both countries. 

The NEH/AHRC New Directions for Digital Scholarship in Cultural Institutions program seeks to advance digital scholarship in cultural institutions such as museums, libraries, galleries, and archives. Successful projects will develop new methods of sharing culture and heritage with global audiences, open new research frontiers, and advance collections-based research methods for the twenty-first century.

Reflecting the collaborative nature of this enterprise, applications must be submitted by bilateral teams with at least one cultural institution from each country. Previously funded projects include an international effort to develop digital methods for identifying and analyzing watermarks on manuscripts by Isaac Newton, and research on using artificial intelligence to enhance access to archival music collections at the Institute of Jazz Studies at Rutgers University–Newark and the Scottish Jazz Archive.

“The past year has changed so much about how we use technology to interact with each other and with our cultural institutions and collections,” said NEH Acting Chairman Adam Wolfson. “This new round of funding aims to tap into that potential by promoting the development of innovative digital methods for studying and sharing the rich contents of the world’s museums, libraries, and archives. We are pleased to be able to partner once again with the UK’s Arts and Humanities Research Council to help spur international cooperation in digital research.”  

“Cultural institutions the world over have demonstrated remarkable resilience and ingenuity throughout the pandemic,” said AHRC Executive Chair, Professor Christopher Smith. “AHRC is delighted to be working again with our friends and colleagues in NEH to bring our joint resources and brilliant researchers together to ensure that they can continue to innovate in the face of a rapidly changing world and bring vital cultural and heritage research to a global audience.”

The application deadline for the NEH/AHRC New Directions for Digital Scholarship in Cultural Institutions grant program is July 8, 2021. Funding opportunity guidelines are available here. Prospective applicants should direct questions about grant proposals to odh@neh.gov or 800-877-8399.

Do you love classic country music?  Are you adept at navigating social media?  The Maine Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum is seeking a volunteer with Facebook experience to assist with administrative functions of its Facebook page.  Established in 1978, the Hall of Fame and Museum’s mission is to preserve country music and the memories of its over 125 inductees. The 3000 square-foot Museum showcases thousands of artifacts and historical memorabilia and hosts concerts and other events throughout the year.  For more information or to simply inquire about this opportunity please contact Maria Holloway, Community Outreach and Development Coordinator, Maine Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum at mariaholloway207@gmail.com.