Heart Mountain Wyoming Foundation is among 30 finalists for the 2024 National Medal for Museum and Library Service, according to a recent announcement from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. Heart Mountain is the third institution in Wyoming to be selected as a finalist for this award.

The National Medal is the nation’s highest honor given to museums and libraries that demonstrate significant impact in their communities. For 30 years, the award has honored institutions that demonstrate excellence in service to their communities.

“The Heart Mountain Wyoming Foundation has been proud to support our local community and that of Japanese Americans around the country, particularly the 14,000 who spent up to 39 months behind barbed wire at our site,” said Shirley Ann Higuchi, chair of the Heart Mountain Wyoming Foundation. “It’s a tremendous honor to be recognized by the Institute for Museum and Library Services.”

To celebrate this honor, IMLS is encouraging Heart Mountain’s community members to share stories, memories, pictures, and videos on social media using the hashtags #ShareYourStory and #IMLSmedals, and engage with IMLS on X (formerly known as Twitter), Facebook and Instagram. For more information, visit the IMLS website.

“The 30 National Medal finalists from across the United States showcase the tremendous abilities of libraries and museums to serve as trusted, dynamic public spaces that meet the needs of their communities,” said IMLS Acting Director Cyndee Landrum. “The Institute of Museum and Library Services is honored to recognize these outstanding institutions. We congratulate them on their collective effort to respond to community needs, preserve diverse history and culture, and create a sense of belonging for all Americans.”

National Medal winners will be announced in late May. Representatives from winning institutions will be honored for their extraordinary contributions during an in-person National Medals Ceremony in Washington, DC this summer.

To see the full list of finalists and learn more about the National Medal, visit the IMLS website.

The Institute of Museum and Library Services

The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation’s libraries and museums. The institute advances, supports and empowers America’s museums, libraries and related organizations through grantmaking, research and policy development. IMLS envisions a nation where individuals and communities have access to museums and libraries to learn from and be inspired by the trusted information, ideas, and stories they contain about our diverse natural and cultural heritage. To learn more, visit www.imls.gov.