Washington, DC--For Immediate Release from the Federal Institute of Museum
and Library Services

News Release:

110 Museums Receive Federal Grants for Improved Operations, Collections and
Community Relations

Beverly Sheppard, head of the Institute of Museum and Library Services
(IMLS), and Edward H. Able, Jr., President and CEO of the American
Association of Museums announced that 110 museums will receive grants
totaling $225,125 through the Museum Assessment Program (MAP). For a list of
recipients in your state, please access
http://www.imls.gov/grants/museum/map_reci.asp?program=Museum+Assessment+Pro
gram or telephone IMLS at 202-606-8339.

MAP is a cooperative program between IMLS and the American Association of
Museums, designed to help museums assess their strengths and weaknesses and
plot a course for future improvements.  IMLS provides grants to museums to
participate in the Museum Assessment Program, which is administered by the
American Association of Museums.  Since 1981, MAP has provided nearly 4,900
successful assessments, leading to improved professional standards and
practices within museums of all sizes.

"The Institute of Museum and Library Service is dedicated to helping the
nation's museums improve their services," said Ms. Sheppard. "Over the past
five years, nearly 1,000 Museum Assessment Program grants have been made to
improve museum management, advance collections care, increase public
services, and raise attendance.  Additionally, 60% of those recipients
report the grants have helped them leverage additional assets from other
sources."

Mr. Able noted , "MAP is a unique process that helps museums reach their
full potential.  MAP helps museums to meet the heightened expectations of
the public and more effectively fulfill their missions as educational
institutions."

MAP offers three types of assessments:

* Institutional Assessment  reviews the museum's entire management and
operations.

* Collections Management Assessment focuses on a review of collections use
planning, policies, and procedures
within the context of the museum's total operation.

* Public Dimension Assessment  Evaluates how the museum serves its community
and audiences.

MAP includes the completion of a self-study questionnaire, an on-site visit
by a museum professional (surveyor), a confidential report of
recommendations for change, and assists with the integration of the
assessment results into the museum's strategic planning process.

All museums interested in applying for MAP must apply directly to the
American Association of Museums.  Upcoming deadlines are November 1, 2001
and
March 15, 2002.  To learn how to apply for a MAP grant for your museum,
please click on: http://www.imls.gov/grants/museum/mus_map.asp

About the Institute of Museum and Library Service (IMLS) - IMLS is an
independent Federal agency that fosters leadership, innovation, and a
lifetime of learning by supporting the nation's 15,000 museums and 122,000
libraries.  Created by the Museum and Library Services Act of 1996, P.L.
104-208, IMLS has an annual budget of $230 million.  The Institute receives
policy advice from two Presidentially appointed, Senate confirmed entities:
the National Commission for Libraries and Information Science and the
National Museum Services Board.  For more information, including grant
applications, contact IMLS at 1100 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Washington, D.C.
202-606-8536, www.imls.gov.

About the American Association of Museums (AAM) is the national association
representing the concerns of the museum community as a whole. AAM assesses
museum programs and accredits museums, provides education and training for
museum professionals, operates international museum programs and advocates
for the advancement of museums.  Since its founding in 1906, AAM has grown
to include more than 15,000 members, including more than 10,300 museum
professionals, 2,900 museums and 1,100 corporate members.


IMLS Press Contact, Eileen Maxwell, 202-606-8339, [log in to unmask]

AAM Contact, Jason Hall, 202-289-9125,

Subscribe to Primary Source, the IMLS monthly e-mail newsletter, for
important museum and library news http://www.imls.gov/utility/subscrbe.htm.

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