The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) has announced the national recipients of its National Leadership Grants (NLG). Six California institutions, including the Salinas Public Library, are among the 44 national winners. The California recipients are: the Bay Area Discovery Museum; the San Diego Zoo; San Jose State University, School of Library and Information Studies; the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden; and the University of California, Berkeley Lawrence Hall of Science.
The National Leadership Grant program is the largest museum and library joint grant program IMLS administers. The program support projects that will advance the ability ofmuseums and libraries to preserve culture, heritage, and knowledge while enhancing learning.
The Salinas Public Library was awarded $713,899 with a matching amount of $1,109,668 in the Library and Museum Collaboration category. Called "Cultivating Knowledge: Life and Literature in Salinas," the two-year project with the National Steinbeck Center, and a partner council of other Salinas organizations will explore the area’s cultural past, present, and future through a series of integrated activities and events focused on reviving Salinas’ civic life, promoting lifelong learning for both children and adults, and supporting community development efforts. It will also preserve unique aspects of Salinas’s history; digitize key documents for online access; and collect new personal and organizational histories that comprise the untold story of the city.
For the full IMLS press release, please visit: http://www.imls.gov/news/2008/091008a.shtm.