Kuskokwim Consortium Library named finalist for national medal
Pictured from left to right: Mikayla Miller (youth services coordinator), Theresa Quiner (library director), Eleanor Oser (AmeriCorps Jesuit volunteer), and Thomas Daniel (student worker) celebrate the summer reading program at the Kuskokwim Consortium Library in Bethel.
The Institute of Museum and Library Services announced today that the University of Alaska Fairbanks Kuskokwim Consortium Library is among 30 finalists for the 2022 National Medal for Museum and Library Service. The Kuskokwim Consortium Library is the only institution in Alaska to be selected as a 2022 finalist for this award.
The medal is the nation’s highest honor given to museums and libraries that demonstrate significant impact in their communities. For more than 25 years, the award has honored institutions that demonstrate excellence in service to their communities.
“We are very honored to have been nominated by Sen. Lisa Murkowski and selected as a finalist for this prestigious award. We are a small library in a remote region in Alaska, and we have worked hard to provide services for the diverse demographics in our community in spite of the limited funding and staffing available to us. To be recognized at the national level for the service we have provided to our local community is a huge honor,” said library Director Theresa Quiner.
The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation’s libraries and museums. It advances, supports and empowers America’s museums, libraries and related organizations through grantmaking, research and policy development.
“So many museums, so many libraries have done such good work over the last two very difficult years. We are proud to present the 30 finalists for the IMLS national medal,” said IMLS Director Crosby Kemper. “Their work is emblematic of the response of the library and museum worlds to simultaneously fulfilling their mission and serving their communities.”
To celebrate this honor, IMLS is encouraging the Kuskokwim Consortium Library’s community members in Bethel to share stories, memories, pictures and videos on social media using the #ShareYourStory and #IMLSmedals hashtags. People can also engage with IMLS on Facebook and Twitter.
Medal winners will be announced in early June. Representatives from winning institutions will be honored for their extraordinary contributions during a virtual ceremony this summer.
To see the full list of finalists and learn more about the medal, visit the IMLS website.
ADDITIONAL CONTACTS: Kuskokwim Consortium Library contact: Theresa Quiner, 907-543-4517; IMLS contact: Brittany Vanderpool, 202-248-5487