Alaska Library Network

ALASKA LIBRARY NETWORK, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE AMERICAN INDIAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION, THE ALASKA STATE LIBRARY, AND SAN JOS? STATE UNIVERSITY, WILL PROVIDE FINANCIAL AND SCAFFOLDED STUDENT SUPPORT TO 15 AMERICAN INDIAN, ALASKA NATIVE, AND NATIVE HAWAIIAN GRADUATE STUDENTS TO EARN MASTER'S DEGREES IN LIBRARY AND INFORMATION SCIENCE AND AN ADVANCED CERTIFICATE IN STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT OF DIGITAL ASSETS AND SERVICES. THE GRANT WILL SUPPORT THE RECRUITMENT, TRAINING, AND DEVELOPMENT OF THESE INDIGENOUS LIBRARIANS AND CONTRIBUTE TO GROWING A DIVERSE AND SKILLED PROFESSIONAL WORKFORCE. GRADUATES OF THIS PROJECT WILL BRIDGE CONTEMPORARY DIGITAL PRACTICES WITH TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE, WHILE ALLOWING FOR CULTURALLY APPROPRIATE STEWARDSHIP OF SENSITIVE MATERIALS. THIS PROJECT WILL MAKE SUPPLEMENTAL CURRICULUM, PRESENTATIONS, AND POSTER SESSIONS FEATURING SCHOLARSHIP WIDELY AVAILABLE THROUGH THE SUSTAINABLE HERITAGE NETWORK.

IMPROVING DELIVERY OF SHARED LIBRARY MATERIALS

TO SUPPORT A PROJECT TO DIGITIZE 54,200 DOCUMENTS RELATED TO THE HISTORY OF ALASKA THAT ARE MAINTAINED IN THE COLLECTIONS OF SIX REPOSITORIES LOCATED IN THE EASTERN UNITED STATES. THE COLLECTIONS TO BE DIGITIZES INCLUDE : THE AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY JESUP EXHIBITION COLLECTION AND GEORGE THORNTON EMMONS ETHNOGRAPHIC PAPERS ON THE TLINGIT, HAIDA, ATHABASKAN, INUPIAT, YUPIK, AND OTHER ALASKAN NATIVE CULTURES; THE NORTHWEST COAST TRADE RECORDS AND THE FRANCIS DANA PAPERS AT THE MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL SOCIETY; THE NICHOLSON WHALING COLLECTION HELD BY THE PROVIDENCE PUBLIC LIBRARY; THE STATE ARCHIVES OF NORTH CAROLINA COLLECTION ON CAPTAIN JAMES IREDELL WADDELL AND THE CSS SHENANDOAH; THE SHELDON JACKSON PAPERS AND ALASKA MISSION FILES OF THE PRESBYTERIAN HISTORICAL SOCIETY; AND ADDITIONAL PAPERS OF SHELDON JACKSON LOCATED AT THE PRINCETON THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY.

"THE ALASKA LIBRARY NETWORK (ALN) WILL PROVIDE CONTINUING EDUCATION FOR ALASKA PUBLIC AND TRIBAL LIBRARY STAFF WORKING WITH INDIGENOUS CULTURAL MATERIALS. IN THE FIRST YEAR, ALN WILL OFFER A TRAINING INSTITUTE FOR 20-30 LIBRARY PROFESSIONALS FROM ACROSS THE STATE. IN THE SECOND YEAR, 5-7 LIBRARIES WILL BE SELECTED TO RECEIVE A WEEK OF ON-SITE, TARGETED TRAINING FOR THEIR COMMUNITY LIBRARY STAFF AND OTHER LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS INVOLVED IN HERITAGE PRESERVATION, RESTORATION, AND DISSEMINATION. EACH VISITING SPECIALIST WILL OFFER A TOPICAL WEBINAR BASED ON THEIR ON-SITE ACTIVITIES TO ALL LIBRARIES IN ALASKA AND ELSEWHERE BASED ON THEIR VISITS. TRAINING PARTNERS WILL INCLUDE THE ALASKA LIBRARY ASSOCIATION NATIVE ISSUES ROUNDTABLE, THE UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA FAIRBANKS LIBRARY, AND THE ALASKA DIVISION OF LIBRARIES, ARCHIVES, AND MUSEUMS."