Lincoln Memorial University has been awarded a $5,000 preservation grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). The grant is part of the NEH's initiative entitled We the People Challenge Grants in United States History, Institutions, and Culture.

The grant will provide funding for an environmental and preservation assessment with the consultative services of Michael Trinkley, Director of the Chicora Foundation. He will make an on-site visit to survey the Carnegie-Vincent Library and the Abraham Lincoln Library and Museum at LMU.

The consultant will advise the libraries on issues related to environmental control, including ways to monitor gaseous pollutants and biological contaminants such as mold. He also will assist in developing a plan to improve environmental conditions.

According to Carnegie-Vincent Library Director Donna Bible, the library and museum are, "conforming to preservation standards and best practices that will enable us to expand our efforts to promote and protect the historical legacy of Lincoln Memorial University, thereby advancing humanities-based scholarship and our region's rich Appalachian culture."

The "We the People" initiative funds projects that help institutions secure long-term improvements and support for humanities activities that explore significant themes and events in American history. More information about the "We the People" initiative is available at the website www.wethepeople.gov.