Program: GN-2010A-Q-112

We propose to use NIFS to collect ZJHK spectra of hundreds of stars, to form a spectral library for use by the community in various astrophysical applications. Our particular scientific interest is to use this library for the construction of stellar population synthesism models in the NIR. This data set will exceed currently available libraries by factors of two in spectral coverage and/or resolution and/or size, thus constituting a major improvement to the field of stellar populations. The technical requirements and typical magnitudes of the targets (<JHK> ~ 5) make this an ideal program for bad weather conditions.