News: OI Integrated Database funded by IMLS

Chicago area, Illinois museum grants. Interesting projects.
By Lynn Sweeton July 13, 2010 12:20 PM
Chicago Sun Times

DURBIN ANNOUNCES MORE THAN $1.3 MILLION IN GRANTS FOR ILLINOIS MUSEUMS
[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) announced today that the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) has awarded 10 Museums for America grants totaling $1,319,185 to museums in the Chicago metropolitan area and northern Illinois. These funds will help allow recipient institutions to better serve the public by supporting high-priority activities that support their mission and strategic goals.

"Illinois is home to many of the nation's finest museums," said Durbin. "Today's funding will help our museums better engage children and adults alike."

Today's funding is part of $19.6 million in Museums for America grants awarded nationwide today by the Institute of Museum and Library Services. Museums for America is the Institute's largest grant program. The IMLS is a primary source of federal support for the nation's 123,000 libraries and 17,500 museums that works to enhance learning and innovation, support professional development, and to sustain heritage, culture, and knowledge...

* University of Chicago-Oriental Institute Museum: $150,000 in funding to begin a three-phase integrated database project. The project will allow the museum to move its diverse digital data into an integrated database and also allow for broad public access to their collections, almost none of which are currently available online.

See the chronicle of news about the Oriental Institute.