IMLS Grant Awarded to Extend ARL/SAA Mosaic Program

The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) has awarded a $299,518 Laura Bush 21st Century Librarians Program grant to the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) to extend the ARL/Society of American Archivists (SAA) Mosaic Program for three years and to recruit and support nine master’s degree students from historically underrepresented groups. Established in 2013, the Mosaic Program promotes much-needed diversification of the archives and special collections professional workforce by attracting individuals who are committed both to the profession and to advancing diversity concerns within it. The program is funded by ARL member libraries and SAA in addition to IMLS.

The ARL/SAA Mosaic Program gives participants financial support for graduate-level education in archival studies or special collections librarianship, with an emphasis in this new phase of the program on developing digital curation and management skills. The Mosaic fellows funded by this grant will work with the director of SAA’s Digital Archives Specialist Program to create professional development plans to strengthen their skills in digital archives and records management. The program also includes a paid internship in a partner archive, a mentoring relationship, cohort building, leadership development, and career placement assistance.

“If we hope to ensure that the archival record being preserved reflects the world in which we live, it is vitally important that the archives profession itself is representative of our society,” said SAA President Dennis Meissner, of the Minnesota Historical Society. “Through its unique design, the Mosaic Program is a valuable tool for attracting and supporting future archivists from historically underrepresented racial and ethnic groups.”

For more information about the program, visit the ARL/SAA Mosaic Program website.