The legacy museum at tuskegee university will purchase and install compact shelving, reorganize the collection, and relocate non-collection items to alternative storage locations within the building

The Institute of Museum and Library Services awarded Tuskegee University one hundred thousand dollars on September 1, 2026, under the Museum Grants for African American History and Culture program (CFDA 45.309) to acquire and install compact shelving, reorganize the Legacy Museum collection, and relocate non-collection items to alternative storage within the facility. The project will include accessioning additional collection materials, installing compact storage solutions, labeling items, rehousing materials, recruiting and training three student interns in collection management software, cataloguing, and best practices in archival and museum collection management and artifact handling, and expanding access to storage facilities for internships and work-study positions. Upon completion of storage and safety improvements, the museum will increase access for research visits by faculty, students, and researchers, with outcomes measured through increased collection access and enhanced professional management and conservation of the Legacy Museum collection. Performance occurs in Tuskegee, Alabama, with a period of performance extending from the award date through March 31, 2028.

Project activities will include accessioning more of the collection, installing compact storage solutions, labeling collection items, rehousing materials, and expanding access to the collection's storage facilities for internships and work-study positions. The project will involve recruiting three students to complete internships that will provide them with experience in utilizing collection management software, processing new collections, and cataloguing pre-existing collections. Interns will also learn best practices in archival and museum collection management and artifact handling. Once the collection is safely stored and safely accessible for people and objects, the museum staff can allow more access to the collection with research visits by faculty, students, and interested researchers. The outcome of project activities will be increased access to the museum's collections and enhanced professional management of the museum from the improved care and conservation of the legacy museum collection.