The following is a text-only press release from the federal Institute of
Museum and Library Services (IMLS). An HTML version of this release with
a photo can be read on the agency's Web site at
http://www.imls.gov/news/2008/090908.shtm. 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 9, 2008

IMLS Press Contacts
202-653-4632

Jeannine Mjoseth, [log in to unmask]
Mamie Bittner, [log in to unmask]

IMLS Convenes Task Force to Define 21st Century Skills for Museums and
Libraries

Washington, DC-Library and museum leaders met September 4 to brainstorm
on the skills that contemporary and future learners need to thrive in
the 21st century and how museums and libraries can support development
of those skills. The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS),
which hosted the meeting, is conducting the year-long initiative with
help from the e-Luminate Group, an education consulting firm.

"This is the first national effort to advance the role of libraries and
museums in the development of such 21st century skills as information,
communications, and technology literacy, creativity and problem solving,
civic literacy, and global awareness," said Anne-Imelda M. Radice, IMLS
Director. "After assessing where they are today, museums and libraries
can begin to modify programs, services, and activities to emphasize the
techniques that are needed for an engaged citizenry and competitive
workforce." 

Through a series of meetings and outreach, IMLS is developing a report
that will provide leaders in museums and libraries, schools, and
government information on the role of cultural institutions in promoting
21st century skills to various audiences. The report will provide
suggestions, guidelines, case studies, and resources to help libraries
and museums identify and integrate 21st century skills into their
programs. The report will be accompanied by an online assessment tool
that will help institutions determine where they are today and the steps
they must take to promote 21st century skills for lifelong learners,
including K-12. The report and assessment tool will be available in late
spring 2009.

Task force members are experienced leaders representing a broad range of
museum and library types who have addressed the need for 21st century
skills in their own institutions. They are charged with defining
critical elements of the 21st century skills as they relate to museums
and libraries, identifying elements that museums and libraries now
deliver that can be leveraged to deliver the 21st century skills, and
articulating key opportunities that libraries and museums can use to
promote 21st century skills. The taskforce, which met July 29 and will
meet again in January, includes the following members: 

John W. Berry
Executive Director
Network of Illinois Learning Resources in Community Colleges 
Chicago, IL 

Bronwyn Bevan
Director for the Center of Informal Learning and Schools 
The Exploratorium 
San Francisco, CA

Norma Blake
New Jersey State Librarian
New Jersey State Library
Trenton, NJ

Anne B. Craig
Director
Illinois State Library
Springfield, IL

Christian Greer
Senior Director of Education
Shedd Aquarium
Chicago, IL

Tracie Hall
Principal and Founder
Goodseed Consulting Group
River Forest, IL

Priscilla Hancock Cooper
Vice President of Institutional Programs 
Birmingham Civil Rights Institute 
Birmingham, AL

Melanie Huggins
Director
St. Paul Public Library
St. Paul, MN

Julie Johnson
Distinguished Chair, Museum Leadership
Science Museum of Minnesota
St. Paul, MN

Tammie Kahn
Executive Director
Children's Museum of Houston
Houston, TX

R. David Lankes
Associate Professor 
School of Information Studies 
Syracuse University Syracuse, NY

George Needham
Vice President, Member Services
OCLC Marketing & Library Services
Dublin, OH

Raymond Santiago
Director
Miami Dade Public Library System
Miami, FL

Deborah F. Schwartz
President
Brooklyn Historical Society
Brooklyn, NY

Nina K. Simon
Museum 2.0
Santa Cruz, CA

Sonnet Takahisa
Director of Education
The National September 11 Memorial & Museum 
New York, NY

Carlos Tortolero
Founder and President
National Museum of Mexican Art
Chicago, IL

Gary Vikan
Director
The Walters Art Museum
Baltimore, MD


About 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 122,000 libraries and 17,500 museums.
The Institute's mission is to create strong libraries and museums that
connect people to information and ideas. The Institute works at the
national level and in coordination with state and local organizations to
sustain heritage, culture, and knowledge; enhance learning and
innovation; and support professional development. To learn more about
the Institute, please visit www.imls.gov. 

About e-Luminate Group
e-Luminate Group is an education consulting firm specializing in
marketing communications, marketing and 21st century skills services.
Based in Washington, D.C. and Tucson, Arizona, our expertise builds on
over ten years of success in helping companies and organizations gain
visibility and market leadership. From K-12 to higher education to
workforce development and beyond, our services deliver the best possible
results for our clients. Representative clients include: Apex Learning,
Blackboard, Dell, LeapFrog School, LearningStation, NEA Member Benefits,
and the Partnership for 21st Century Skills. To learn more about
e-Luminate Group, please visit www.e-luminategroup.com. 

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