each year the Institute of Museum and Library Services recognizes the
outstanding contributions of America's libraries and museums the National Medal
for Museum and Library Service the nation's highest honor of its kind is
awarded to five libraries and five museums that have demonstrated
excellence in their programs and services these institutions open doors
to enable lifelong learning they increase access to information and ideas
and they improve the well-being of the communities they serve this year's
national medal winners are using their partnerships and resources to create new
opportunities all across the country IMLS is proud to honor the contributions
of the ten organizations that embody the power of museums and libraries to
positively transform the lives of individuals families and communities
as San Diego County's first museum on an Indian Reservation dedicated to the
perpetuation and presentation of the local Kumi Ida Gallo native culture the
Barona museum offers a unique educational journey for visitors of all
ages the museum's collection represents thousands of years of history some
objects dating as far back as 10,000 years and it demonstrates the artistry
and skill of the hemispheres first inhabitants located in Gulfport Florida
the Gulfport Public Library serves a diverse community providing materials
information and services in order to support lifelong learning and the
sharing of resources the library has made serving that community a top
priority through its LGBTQ Resource Center the
only of its kind in the state last year alone the library hosted 17 LGBTQ
related programs with 1,400 attendees the library's excellent event and
program attendants are a testament to the strategic thought that goes into its
program
[Music] founded in 1962 the inter University
Consortium for political and social research icpsr in Ann Arbor Michigan is
one of the world's oldest and largest social science data archives icpsr is
housed within the University of Michigan's Institute for Social Research
and has almost 800 member institutions worldwide icpsr s mission is to advance
and expand social and behavioral research
acting is a global leader in data stewardship and providing rich data
resources and responsive educational opportunities for present and future
generations with an archive of more than a quarter million files and 10,000
studies in the Social and Behavioral Sciences icpsr holds the largest
collection of its kind everything from surveys and census data to social media
datasets geospatial data and crime statistics
the rise of the Jamestown S'Klallam library as a lynchpin of the score alum
tribes social and cultural milieu began humbly
unlike many libraries whose role is to acquire materials for its collection
staff tribal families and other dedicated patrons helped create large
parts of the collection the Jamestown S'Klallam tribe Oh library specializes
in materials by and about American Indians with a special focus on the
people of the northwest coast the library also offers programs to the
tribal community to grow self-sufficiency and digital literacy
and to enhance the general public's understanding of Native American issues
from robotics classes to ethnobotany the libraries program offerings aim to bring
the tribes history into the present and the future
[Music] serving the fastest-growing city in
southern Idaho Meridian Library District focuses its efforts on enriching lives
igniting curiosity and cultivating connections from a shipping container
turned tiny library to a bicycle lending program a bookmobile and a full-featured
makerspace the library's branches are dynamic community centers that allow
Meridian residents to come together around shared goals and interests the
operating budget for the district isn't large but the collaborative energy of
its staff far exceeds its limited resources many know Memphis Tennessee is
Lorraine Motel as the location of one of the most tragic events in US history
the assassination of dr. Martin Luther King jr. from the ashes of this tragedy
rose the National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel which chronicles key
episodes of the American civil rights movement and examines today's global
civil and human rights issues provokes thoughtful debate and serves as a
catalyst for positive social change since opening in 1991 millions from
around the world have come including 90,000 students annually
the new Children's Museum is a new model of Children's Museum whose mission is to
stimulate imagination creativity and critical thinking in children and
families through inventive and engaging experiences with contemporary art
located downtown the museum collaborates with contemporary artists to design and
create art installations and educational programs for children the museum brings
families together in a rich educational environment that fosters creativity
blending the best elements of Children's Museum's Contemporary Art Museum's
and community resources [Music]
steeped in local history the New Haven free public library in New Haven
Connecticut became an anchor along with the train station in the 1910 plan for
New Haven as envisioned by renowned architects Cass Gilbert and Frederick
Law Olmstead jr. the Ives memorial library strategically situated on the
historic New Haven Green was dedicated in 1911 and recognized as one of the
city's most practical assets the people's University from within those
venerable walls and a tall branch locations patrons encounter library
staff and services that are relentlessly forward-thinking
[Music] opened in 2000 the Orange County
Regional History Center occupies the former Orange County Courthouse in the
heart of downtown Orlando operating in that historic space provides the
foundation for the History Center's dedication to telling the history of a
region that can seem dominated by the itinerant nature of the tourism industry
community members and visitors who make their way into downtown Orlando
encounter an institution devoted to engaging its diverse community in local
culture past and present the History Center's important role in memorializing
the 2016 pulse nightclub shooting has also helped to instill trust from the
community
[Music] the South Carolina Aquarium in
Charleston South Carolina seeks to inspire conservation of the natural
world by exhibiting and caring for animals and
through education and research among its thousands of species almost all are
native to South Carolina giving the aquarium a chance to educate the public
about the biodiversity of the region and replicate native aquatic ecosystems in
addition the aquarium extends its educational outreach with a series of
partnerships with conservation organizations devoted to taking on tough
environmental issues such as coastal erosion due to sea level rise the
Institute of Museum and Library Services congratulate these organizations on
their successes and transforming their communities and serving as catalysts for
positive change [Music]
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