Heard Museum Awarded $245,678 Grant From the Institute of Museum and Library Services

The Heard Museum announced today an award of $245,678 in grant funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) to improve the care and access to the Heard’s extensive collection of American Indian materials, books, artist documentation, and archives housed in the museum’s library, the Billie Jane Baguley Library and Archives.

“This award will not only ensure the longevity of the materials, but it will also open access to information to researchers across the country,” said David M. Roche, Dickey Family Director and CEO. “The Heard Museum’s library is considered a national treasure with an extensive resource collection of materials and unparalleled research facility. This grant will greatly improve the public’s access to the wealth of materials and knowledge the museum has collected on Indigenous art and culture.”

The Library and Archives is named for longtime Heard Museum Guild volunteer Billie Jane Baguley, who contributed tirelessly to the growth of the facilities, its resources and organization. Dedicated volunteers provide thousands of hours of assistance to the Library and Archives each year.

The funds awarded to the Heard are part of the IMLS’s largest competitive grant program, Museums for America. The Heard is the only institution based in Arizona to receive funding through the Museums for American grant opportunity. Following a competitive application process, selected museums are awarded funding to better serve the public. With the grant funds, the Heard will strengthen the growth of the museum’s library with safe storage conditions and increased public access to its collections for exhibition, programmatic, and scholarly purposes.

The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation’s libraries and museums. Rep. Ruben Gallego shared, “Expanding the Heard Museum means expanding our community’s understanding and appreciation of Native art and history in the state. The funds from the competitive IMLS grant will go a long way to improve and preserve the museum’s already extensive collection, and I look forward to the Heard Museum’s success in using these dollars.”

The Billie Jane Baguley Library and Archives reflects the museum’s permanent collections, with particularly strong holdings in:

• American Indian artists’ biographical resources
• American Indian art and culture of the Southwest
• American Indian fine arts
• Works created by American Indian authors including creative writing and a variety of Native studies
• Inuit art and culture
• Indigenous arts of Oceania, Africa, and Asia
• General anthropology and art history
• Museum studies and library and archival sciences

Click here for more information about the Billie Jane Baguley Library and Archives.