Exploring Nantucket's unique and fascinating history is always a great reason to visit Nantucket! Nantucket Insider is proud to share the news that Nantucket Historical Association is among a very elite group of museums and libraries in the running for the 2015 National Medal for Museum and Library Service awarded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). This is the nation's highest honor for museums and libraries for service to their community. Nantucket Insider caught up with our friends at NHA to get the inside information on this award and what it means for Nantucket.
NHA applied for the National Medal for Museum and Library Services in October and the application included information about all of the community programs they offer- especially those that are free of charge, like the History Quizz Bowl, Night Watch, Winter Discovery Days, Food for Thought and many others. There were also letters of recommendation from members of the local community.
Now that IMLS has narrowed the finalists down to 15 museums and 15 libraries the winners will be chosen on April 8th. A social media campaign is now part of the finalist process. Each day up until April 7th one of the museums and libraries will be highlighted on the IMLS Facebook page and Twitter accounts. Thursday March 19th is the day for NHA to have this social media spotlight, so be sure to go online and share how NHA has made an impact on your life.
The National Medal awards are presented at an annual ceremony in Washington D.C. Following the ceremony, StoryCorps, an organization working to record, preserve and share the stories of Americans visits the winning institution to provide an opportunity for community members to share the stories of their lives. Nantucket Insider wishes our friends at NHA all the best in this exciting endeavor and our most sincere congratulations on such a remarkable nomination. Don't forget to visit the IMLS Facebook page anytime to mention why you love NHA-but especially on March 19th!