Introduction:

Spend time in Montana this Spring on the Crow Indian Reservation at Little Big Horn College in Crow Agency. The college library serves as both the academic library for the college as well as the public library for those in the neighboring community. The archives also has a duel mission; to support the research and learning of the college students and faculty as well as providing access and safekeeping of important Crow records and materials.

The College campus is located in the town of Crow Agency on the banks of the Little Big Horn River. The college facility has 35,000 square feet of educational space situated on two acres of wooded river valley. The College building trades classes have remodeled and made additions to the college building since 1983. The Library holds 18,000 volumes/items, has the premier collection of print/video Crow Indian related materials, and is linked to six major academic libraries in the region through SIRSI and Internet. A campus wide network provides maximum access to the computer information systems. The Archives provides seven hundred feet of primary source materials, photos, tapes and videos of Crow Indian culture and history. Click Here to see more Images!
 

Participating Faculty:

Maurita Holland, University of Michigan; Kari Smith, intern; with Sharon Balius, former University of Michigan acquisitions, science and special collections librarian.

Section I: Applied librarianship The college library serves also as a public library for the reservation. It includes approximately 1500 children's books, a substantial collection of Crow history and culture, 2,000 Crow-related video tapes, a reference collection and 75 current periodicals. Public access to the Web is also provided. The adult book collection is cataloged and represented in SIRSI; there are 4 FTE library staff.

Working with Librarian Tim Bernardis, Prof. Holland and Sharon Balius, students will work on projects that may include: document work flow, develop collection policy statements and evaluate an approval plan, update the reference and children's collections, provide improved access to periodicals and process gift materials.

Section II: Archives
Working with Kari Smith and the Little Big Horn College Archivist, Magdalene Medicine Horse Moccasin, students will work on projects that might include: abstracting and cataloging oral history transcripts/tapes; processing or doing some parts of processing of certain collections, including arrangement and description;
 

Virtual Access
Little Big Horn College has several grants to develop Web-based resources. SI students with an interest in technology projects can provide support in developing training materials, policy, and programs and Web-based resources. Projects will be developed to fit student skills and interests.

Internship
We would like to send two LIS and/or Archives students for a 6-week internship this summer. This position comes with a stipend of $3,000 plus cost of lodging and transportation to and from Montana. Lodging will be very basic as Crow Agency and environs are rural. Travel to and from Montana will be via mini-van driven by the SI interns with the workshop students. Once vehicle will remain with the Interns. The Internship will start with the workshop class and the Interns will stay on an additional five weeks. The tasks will be derived from the work done during the workshop in the first week. The work areas will most likely be: collection development, user needs assessment, and electronic resources.

Logistics:
Participants in the workshop will be in residence in Crow Agency, Montana (or nearby Hardin) for 6 days in early May, driving from Ann Arbor beginning on April 27 or 28. The trip will include a day for touring the Little Big Horn Battlefield and the Crow reservation; students may also want to plan a two-day visit to Yellowstone National Park at the end of the week. One organizational meeting will be held previous to departure. Students will also participate in some on-going project upon leaving Crow Agency, not to exceed 30 hours of work. The Practical Engagement Program will cover expenses travel, lodging and meals, and a small stipend to cover incidental expenses.

Requirements:
Enrollment in this workshop is limited. All SI students are eligible to apply. Students with a broad range of skills and interests are encouraged to apply, including library administration and management, archival organization, cultural heritage management and outreach, web design and development, database design and development, and user needs assessment and evaluation.

How to Apply:
Students interested in this P.E. Workshop or Internship should send a current c.v. and a statement of interest to Maurita Holland (holland@umich.edu). Please include your personal objectives for participating in the workshop, a description of relevant background and skills.

Application Deadline: March 24, 2000. Notification: March 27, 2000. For additional information: contact Maurita Holland (mholland@umich.edu).

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