ORONO – The Institute of Museum and Library Services has announced that the Hudson Museum at the University of Maine will receive a $60,236 general operating support grant. The Hudson Museum, a museum of anthropology, will use the funds to make its museum registrar position full-time and implement other aspects of its strategic plan.

The Hudson Museum is one of 10 museums statewide that received a total of $535,000 in grants from the IMLS, an independent federal agency.

According to Hudson Museum director Steve Whittington, competition for the grants is stiff. The Hudson Museum has not received an IMLS grant since 1998, when it was awarded $43,995 for conservation project support.

“It’s a real thrill to be at the point nationally where we are successfully competing with museums of similar size and discipline…[Receiving a grant] is a vote of confidence on the part of the museum community of the United States,” he said.

Whittington said that making the registrar’s position full-time will increase the quality of the museums operations. Kimberly Sawtelle is the registrar.