The alaska native language archive (anla) at the university of alaska fairbanks will implement modern metadata standards for archival description and bridge its collection management practices with…

The Institute of Museum and Library Services awarded the University of Alaska Fairbanks $200,000 on September 1, 2026, under the Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program (CFDA 45.313) to implement modern metadata standards and open-source archival practices at the Alaska Native Language Archive.

The Alaska Native Language Archive will implement modern metadata standards for archival description, bridge its collection management practices with open-source archival standards, and establish best practices for metadata specific to language archives. The project will improve the archive's system for accessioning and tracking collections, implement better rights control, offer improved patron access, and better represent its collections in context. The archive holds comprehensive records on indigenous languages of Alaska spanning from early 18th century word lists and explorers' logs to contemporary language revitalization and pedagogical resources.

The award period runs from September 1, 2026, through August 31, 2028, with performance in Fairbanks, Alaska. The University of Alaska Fairbanks, a land-grant research institution, is the recipient through its Grants and Contracts Administration Division. The Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program supports projects that provide training and professional development to library and archives professionals, develop faculty and information leaders, and recruit, educate, and retain the next generation of library and archives professionals.

The alaska native language archive (anla) at the university of alaska fairbanks will implement modern metadata standards for archival description and bridge its collection management practices with open-source archival standards. Anla is a well-established archive, known in the state of alaska and among linguists, with a comprehensive collection of records on or about the indigenous languages of alaska. Its collections span word lists and explorers' logs of the early 18TH century, to contemporary language revitalization and pedagogical resources. This community-centered implementation project will allow anla to better represent its collections in context, improve its system for accessioning and tracking collections, implement better rights control, and offer improved patron access. The project will establish best practices for metadata specific to language archives.