IMLS Leads Delegation to Organization of American States Inter-American Meeting
Agency will highlight work to preserve the stories and history of minority groups and indigenous populations.
Washington, DC— Institute of Museum and Library Services Deputy Director Laura Huerta Migus will represent the United States at the Organization of American States’ Ninth Inter-American Meeting of Ministers of Culture and Highest Appropriate Authorities.
The meeting will take place in Antigua, Guatemala, on October 27 and 28, 2022.
Much of the discussion at the Inter-American meeting will center on how nations can work together for the protection and promotion of indigenous people’s cultures and conservation and the use of technology in arts, literature, and history and culture.
“It is fitting that Huerta Migus, herself a Latina, will lead the U.S. delegation,” said IMLS Director Crosby Kemper. “She will present the story of IMLS’s commitment to encouraging, nurturing, and providing specific funding for programs that preserve the stories, history, and culture of minority groups and indigenous populations.”
IMLS administers grant programs targeted to the work of libraries and museums focused on minority and indigenous people. These programs include Native American Library Services Basic and Enhancement grants, Native Hawaiian Library Services grants, the Native American and Native Hawaiian Museum Services grants, and Museum Grants for African American History and Culture.
“IMLS is considered a leader in the world when it comes to helping art and cultural institutions tell and amplify their stories on their own terms,” said Huerta Migus. “And, in many instances, these are untold stories that need to be respected, preserved, and part of the national and international dialog.”
Huerta Migus will also share successes created through the CARES and ARPA funding provided to museums and libraries. That funding allowed for a greater depth and breadth of cultural expression in a more geographically diverse area within the U.S.
As part of the delegation discussion, Huerta Migus will also highlight some of the creative ways libraries and museums across the nation have used innovations in technology. One program she’ll highlight is the Museums for Digital Learning partnership that uses technology to bring museum collections into the classroom to enhance student learning.
For more information on the OAS convening, please visit https://www.oas.org/en/.
About the Institute of Museum and Library Services
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. IMLS envisions a nation where individuals and communities have access to museums and libraries to learn from and be inspired by the trusted information, ideas, and stories they contain about our diverse natural and cultural heritage. To learn more, visit www.imls.gov and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.