Tips for Applying for a Native American Library Services Basic Grant
February 11, 2019By Sandra Toro, Ph.D.; Sarah Boonie; and Chelsea Cole For more than twenty years, the Institute of Museum and Library Services has provided grants to tribal communities throughout the United States. Over the past ten years alone, IMLS made awards to more than 350 tribes and indigenous organizations in 33 states, including over 70 each in Alaska and California, 34 in Oklahoma, 24 in Washington… Read more
How One Montana Museum Doubled Field Trip Attendance
February 1, 2019By Emily Patterson By changing their field trip program to better address teacher needs, Musuem of the Rockies more than doubled attendance. (Photo courtesy of Museum of the Rockies.) Staff at Museum of the Rockies in Bozeman, Montana, used to view field trip management as frustrating due to the lack of resources on many levels. Each spring, teachers from across the state brought their… Read more
Looking to Fulfill New Year’s Resolutions? Head to Your Public Library
January 14, 2019By Emily Patterson Whether your New Year’s resolution is to save money, get healthier, or spend more time with your family, your public library can help you achieve it. Your local library likely offers far more than just self-help books to assist you in learning new skills and applying them. Here are just a few interesting—and perhaps unconventional—public library collections funded through the… Read more
Visualizing the National Digital Platform
December 6, 2018Editor’s Note: Over the past several years, IMLS has funded a significant number of digital library grant projects through the National Digital Platform (NDP) funding framework. Between 2014 and 2017, the agency invested more than 33 million dollars in 111 grants through National Leadership Grants for Libraries and the Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian program. As of 2018, IMLS has revised the… Read more
What’s New with the Talking Book Program? Here’s Everything Librarians Should Know
October 29, 2018Library employee demonstrates the BARD database and mobile app. (Photo courtesy of the Washington State Library.) Emily Patterson Communications Consultant Most librarians know about the talking book service, a national program for blind, low vision, and physically disabled Americans run by the National Library Service. But they might not know all the new changes. In recent years, the program… Read more
In Your State: Priorities for IMLS-Funded Library Services
October 4, 2018Teri DeVoe Associate Deputy Director for State Programs Office of Library Services, Grants to States program Young adventurers explore a bookmobile. (Photo courtesy of the Brooklyn Public Library / Gregg Richards.) Every five years, all U.S. states and territories create plans for how they will use Institute of Museum and Library Services’ library grant funding. Taken as a whole, these plans… Read more
San Diego Zoo Kids Channel Helps Children Heal Around the Clock
September 13, 2018By Wendy Perkins, San Diego Zoo Global At first glance, it might not seem that zoos have a similar mission to children’s hospitals and Ronald McDonald Houses. But these organizations share the common goals of saving, healing, and nurturing. Why shouldn’t they work together? Thanks to the support of IMLS, as part of the Museums for America Community Anchors Initiative, San Diego Zoo Global is… Read more
Be Prepared! Tips for Museums and Libraries in the Path of Hurricane Florence
September 11, 2018For those in the path of Hurricane Florence, it’s important to prepare for sustained winds, heavy rain, and potential flooding. The following tips are from the Heritage Emergency National Task Force (HENTF), a partnership of 42 national service organizations and federal agencies, including IMLS. Track the storm via the National Hurricane Center, https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/#Florence. … Read more
Big News for Small Museums!
August 30, 2018By Reagan Moore, Mark Feitl, and Jill Connors-Joyner You spoke, and we listened! Inspired by feedback from applicants, grantees, peer reviewers, museum support organizations, and other stakeholders, IMLS is pleased to announce a new funding opportunity specifically for small museums, Inspire! Grants for Small Museums. This grant opportunity invites small museums to apply for funding to… Read more
8 Tips on Applying for Museum Collections Care Funding
August 2, 2018Connie Cox Bodner, PhD Supervisory Grants Management Specialist Office of Museum Services Do you ever wonder, “How do I create a proposal that transforms a good idea into a full-blown IMLS-funded collections care project?” Attendees at this year’s Annual Meeting of the American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works (AIC) in Houston heard from a panel of speakers who have… Read more