The salamatof tribal council of alaska will contract a professional library consultant to evaluate current services and make recommendations for the development and enhancement of library services

The Salamatof Tribal Council of Alaska received a $150,000 Project Grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) under the Native American and Native Hawaiian Library Services (NANH-L) federal grant program (CFDA 45.311). The grant project will contract a professional library consultant to evaluate current library services and provide recommendations for the development and enhancement of the tribal library's workflows, policies, procedures, collections management, needs assessments, and technology integration. The goal is to improve access to resources and information for staff, tribal members, residents of the Kenai Peninsula, researchers, and the broader public, as well as to preserve oral histories and documented cultural demonstrations. The project period runs from September 1, 2024 to August 31, 2026.

Specifically, the consultant will recommend strategies for workflows, policies, procedures, collections management, needs assessments, and the integration of technology. Staff and members of the salamatof tribe, residents of the kenai peninsula and the state of alaska, and researchers from around the world will benefit from this project. Supplies and equipment acquired for the project will allow the tribe to expand library services to provide improved access to resources and information for users and the preservation of collections. Oral histories and documented skill demonstrations collected for the project will provide connection to knowledge held by elders, and current community members and future researchers can access audio/visual interviews and transcribed documents.