OBERLIN.- The Allen Memorial Art Museum (AMAM) of Oberlin College was one of 169 museums across the country to be selected to receive funding from the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) under its highly competitive Museums for America grant program. There were 543 applicants vying for $16,859,240 awarded by the largest federal grant program for museums in the country. The Museums for America grants are designed to help museums sustain the world’s cultural heritage, support lifelong learning, and serve as centers of community engagement.

“We are extremely pleased that the IMLS fully funded our proposal to make the museum’s collection more accessible both to our local audience and to a diverse global audience,” says Stephanie Wiles, John G.W. Cowles Director at the Allen. “This grant marks an exciting turning point for the museum and significantly expands our ability to explore appropriate ways to merge technology and original works of art to teach across many disciplines.

The Allen was awarded $149,687 and will use its IMLS grant funds to acquire, install, and implement a new collections management system with Web interface. The project will make the collection and educational materials much more comprehensive and accessible for use by educators, students, researchers, and the public. The museum’s current collections management system (CMS) is over 25 years old and without digital imaging capabilities or a Web interface. The AMAM will capitalize on this need to significantly upgrade its CMS and choose a system that will integrate collections records with a Web-based, database-driven publishing system. This will enable more meaningful, extensive use of technology in programming and directly advance the AMAM’s mission as a teaching museum and its strategic plan to broaden and enrich outreach to audiences of all ages.

“Museums for America grants help museums position themselves to play a vital role in the development of strong learning communities,” said the Institute’s Acting Director Mary Chute. “The museums will match the federal dollars with an additional $32,891,246 to fund educational and cultural exhibits, digitize and integrate collections for greater access, work with schools to develop curricula and programs, and conduct research that will encourage civic participation, build 21st century skills, invest in our youth, and reach out to seniors. The grants are investments in museums and in America.”

The Institute of Museum and Library Services is an independent federal grant-making agency dedicated to creating and sustaining a nation of learners by helping libraries and museums serve their communities. The Institute fosters leadership, innovation, and a lifetime of learning by supporting the 15,000 museums and 122,000 libraries in America. The Institute also encourages partnerships to expand the educational benefit of libraries and museums. To learn more about the Institute, please visit http://www.imls.gov.