President Requests $188,500,000 for America's Museums and Libraries
Request Includes $10 million for New Digitization Initiative

For Immediate Release           Contacts:       Giuliana Bullard
February 1, 1999                                        202-606-8339
                                                Mamie Bittner
                                                202-606-8339

Washington, DC-The President's FY 2000 budget released to Congress today
requests $188,500,000 for the Institute of Museum and Library Services
(IMLS) and includes $10 million for a new leadership initiative to support
the creation of a National Digital Library for Education, part of the
President's Educational Technology Initiative.

Diane Frankel, Director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services,
said, "The National Digital Library for Education will make more museum and
library collections accessible to every school child and every American.
Libraries are on the forefront of using new technology to get people the
information they want and need.  For museums, this is the first federal
program specifically designed to make their collections accessible on line
"

The budget contains $34,000,000 for museum services and $154,500,000 for
library services.

In addition to the new initiative, IMLS will continue its ongoing programs
of support for museums and libraries.  The Institute's library programs help
libraries to use new technologies to identify, preserve, and share library
and information resources across institutional, local and state boundaries
and to reach those for whom library use requires extra effort or special
materials.  Museum programs strengthen museum operations, improve care of
collections, increase professional development opportunities and enhance the
community service role of museums.

The Institute of Museum and Library Services is a federal grantmaking agency
that benefits the public by encouraging lifelong learning, innovation and
leadership in museums and libraries throughout the U.S.  The agency supports
using new technology to access library and museum collections,
collaboration, preservation, training, public service and leadership.

For additional information about the programs and grants of IMLS, go to the
IMLS website at www.imls.fed.us or e-mail [log in to unmask]

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