> April 10, 2001: Press Release from the federal Institute of Museum and > Library Services (IMLS) > > IMLS Press Contact: Mamie Bittner [log in to unmask] 202-606-8339 > > President Bush's Budget Requests $192,977,000 for Institute of Museum and > Library Services > > Washington, D.C. - The President's Budget for FY 2002 released to Congress > today contains $192,977,000 for the Institute of Museum and Library > Services reflecting an increase of $125,000 for Federal staff costs and > level funding for core grant programs. The request for the Office of > Museum Services is $24,899,000. The request for the Office of Library > Services is $168,078,000. > > Beverly Sheppard, on behalf of the Agency, said, "IMLS strives to build > the capacity of museums and libraries to face the new challenges of a > learning society. As 21st century learners we are faced with > unprecedented challenges and opportunities. Our society demands that we > continue to learn throughout our lifetimes. We are called upon to > navigate a myriad of complex decisions that affect the quality of our > lives as individuals, the strength of our families, the health of our > communities, and the wisdom of our nation. We are faced with dramatic > advances in technology, increasing diversity in our populations and great > concerns about education in an information age. All of these trends > result in increased pressure on museums and libraries to address central > social, economic, and educational issues." > > Museums and libraries are indispensable members of our learning > communities and have critical responsibilities to students of all ages. > Building the educational capacity of libraries and museums and sustaining > equitable access to their resources is at the heart of the Federal vision > for these vital institutions. IMLS' approach is strategic. IMLS uses > Federal dollars to: > > * Invest in Education: promoting the roles of museums and libraries as > centers for lifelong learning, > * Invest in Access: using technology and training to give all citizens > equitable access to information, > * Invest in Families and Children: supporting museum and library use for > all ages, > * Invest in Communities: strengthening the role of museums and libraries > as centers of civic engagement, and to > * Invest in Cultural Heritage: studying, preserving, and showcasing the > unique heritage at the heart of America. > > Through its leadership activities and comprehensive grant programs, the > Institute of Museum and Library Services promotes the broadest public > access to museums and libraries, stimulates vital research, training and > the use of new technologies, supports community partnerships and > establishes standards of excellence in all levels of institutional > operations. > > CORE NEEDS > 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 service 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. > > PRIORITY GOALS > The budget request focuses on two major goals. Each of these goals will be > addressed through museum programs, library programs and collaborations > between museums and libraries: > * increasing technological access to museum and library resources for all > Americans; and, > * building community partnerships to address serious and persistent > community needs. > > TECHNOLOGY > Technology challenges are escalating, reflecting a new role for IMLS at > the federal level. Since 1998, IMLS has provided grants to state library > agencies and to individual libraries for research, digitization and > management of digital resources. Funding further addresses critical > preservation and interoperability issues. Beginning in 2000, Congress > appropriated funds to IMLS to establish museum programs that build > electronic networks and use technology to make museum resources more > accessible. > > Funding for technology initiatives will continue to support the > establishment of electronic networks among institutions, the > identification and digitization of key collections, ongoing research into > the management of digital collections and nationwide opportunities for > information sharing and dissemination. > > With this budget IMLS joins with the National Science Foundation and > others to provide linkages among digital library and museum resources. > Digital resources for lifelong learning are available on the Internet but > are not yet accessible in usable ways to all Americans. This project will > include addressing technical issues to increase ease of searching for and > finding information held by many different institutions. These > collaborations will provide vital educational content to the classrooms of > America. > > BUILDING COMMUNITY-BASED PARTNERSHIPS > Libraries and museums across the country are active community citizens. > They are experts in building strategic partnerships across the community > to address pressing local issues, such as: after school programming, > neighborhood revitalization, narrowing the digital divide, linking > community services and strengthening family programming. As partners, > libraries and museums are building new informal learning systems for the > 21st century, meeting learning needs from infancy through the senior > years. > > IMLS seeks additional funding to invest in this community leadership. Two > areas are of special concern: supporting strong, creative after-school > programming and building institutional expertise to strengthen community > leadership. > > After-School Programs: IMLS seeks funding for both libraries and museums > to support strong after-school programs, both at their facilities and > within school and community centers. Such programming is especially > significant for students at risk. Solid research supports the positive > effects of engaging children in life-affirming creative and reliable > out-of-school-hour environments. Libraries and museums offer numerous > such programs, ranging from homework programs to an innovative computer > connections clubs. Children learn new skills, are offered a safe > environment, reinforce school-based learning and gain fresh confidence > through these opportunities. > > Building Institutional Expertise: IMLS seeks additional funding to develop > broad professional expertise in both museums and libraries to expand their > roles as community leaders. Funds will identify and share best practices, > using broad communication strategies to encourage leadership across the > nation. Increased funding will build the institutional capacity of > museums and libraries and educators and community builders in the 21st > century. Further investment in professional practices will support > initiatives to support and train minority professionals in museums and > libraries. > > About the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) - IMLS is an > independent Federal agency that fosters leadership, innovation, and a > lifetime of learning by supporting the nation's museums and libraries. > Created by the Museum and Library Services Act of 1996, P.L. 104-208, IMLS > administers the Library Services and Technology Act and the Museum > Services Act. IMLS has an annual budget of approximately $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, or http://www.imls.gov. > > Institute of Museum and Library Services > Fact Sheet on Library Services > FY 2002 President's Request > > Program Type > FY 2001 Enacted > FY 2002 Request > State Grants > $148,939,000 > $149,014,000 > Native American Library Services > $2,940,000 > $2,941,000 > National Leadership Grants > *$50,550,000 > $11,081,000 > Federal Administration > $5,040,000 > $5,042,000 > > * includes $39,469,000 in non-competitive Congressionally directed grants > State Grants > > IMLS Grants to States support library services in every State, the > District of Columbia and U.S. Territories. Each State develops a > five-year plan tailored to the individual states' needs and addressing the > goals of using technology to expand access and expanding service to those > who may have difficulty using the library. All types of libraries public, > academic, research, schools and archives can be eligible (depends on > criteria established by each state). For more information about the > program and exemplary project descriptions see http://www.imls.gov. > > * Libraries are the #1 point of access to the Internet for those who do > not have computers at home or work. However, many public libraries have > waiting lists for patrons wanting to access the Internet due to heavy > demand. States use IMLS fund to help narrow the digital divide by > providing access to computers and to the Internet, community training, and > content development. > > * Today's libraries and the librarians are information navigators. States > use IMLS grants to help establish and maintain the infrastructure needed > to expand access to rich information resources by developing and > purchasing databases; sharing resources, expanding interlibrary loan and > purchasing of hardware and software. > > * Libraries support learning throughout the lifetime. States use IMLS > grants for after-school programs, homework centers, literacy training, ESL > programs, adaptive services for the disabled, job and health information, > support for small business, parenting resources and story telling for > children, programs for seniors and more. > > National Leadership Grants > These grants enhance the quality of library services nationwide, improve > access to information resources, and encourage collaboration between > museums and libraries. Grants focus on > > * Education and training in library and information science; > * Research in library and information science and demonstration projects > to test potential solutions to problems in real-world situations; > * Preservation or digitization of unique resources; and > * Museum/Library collaboratives for innovative projects that model how > museums and libraries can work together to expand their service to the > public, with emphasis on how the community is served, technology is used, > or education is enhanced. > > Some of the grants in this program in 2002 will explore potential ways to > improve technology skills and access for the information "have-nots." > Others will contribute to the partnership with NSF, bridging the spectrum > from basic research through applied research and demonstration, to > implementation of digital libraries. > > Native American Library Services > Grants support the development of basic library services, technical > assistance and enhancement of library services for Federally recognized > tribes, Alaska Native villages and Native Hawaiians. Grants in this > program support the development of technology skills and information > access, literacy and reading in communities that lack many basic resources > and services. > > Institute of Museum and Library Services > Fact Sheet for Museums > FY 2002 President's Request > > Program Type > FY 2001 enacted > FY 2002 request > Support for Operations > $15,932,000 > $15,757,000 > Support for Conservation > $3,123,000 > $3,130,000 > National Leadership Grants > $3,542,000 > $3,542,000 > Federal Administration > $2,255,000 > $2,470,000 > > National Leadership Grants > This program supports leadership activities with broad impact. It has four > priorities: > > Museums Online supports technology projects that demonstrate innovative > applications of technology to increase public access to museum collections > and educational materials. > > Museums in the Community supports partnerships between museums and > community organizations to enhance community life; > Professional Practices supports professional training, leadership > development, and strategic planning; and > > Model Programs of Library-Museum Collaboration supports innovative > museum-library partnerships that address real community needs in efficient > and effective ways. > > Support for Operations > General Operating Support awards reward excellence in museum operations. > Over time the program has been credited for improving museum professional > practice nationwide and providing an annual nationwide forum to share best > practice. One of the greatest benefits of the program is that decisions > about allocation of funds are made at the local museum for their highest > priority projects. Grants are used for a wide range of activities; they > extend educational programming, broaden community outreach, integrate new > technologies, conserve fragile collections, and train staff. > > This category also supports grants for museums to participate in the > American Association of Museum's Museum Assessment Program. Hundreds of > museums have improved their operations, collections care and community > outreach using this program of technical assistance. > > Support for Conservation > Museums care for over 750 million objects and specimens that represent our > nation's cultural heritage. This program has been credited with improving > museums' approach to collections care activities nationwide. Though the > Conservation Project Support program and the Conservation Assessment > Program museum environments have been improved and millions of objects > have been treated so that our grandchildren will have access to the rich > cultural resources that museums hold in trust. > > > > Eileen Maxwell > Public Affairs Specialist > Institute of Museum and Library Services > 1100 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W. > Suite 510 > Washington, DC 20506 > 202-606-8339 > 202-606-8591 (fax) > [log in to unmask] > Subscribe to Primary Source, the IMLS monthly e-mail newsletter, for > important museum and library news > http://www.imls.gov/utility/subscrbe.htm. > > ========================================================= Important Subscriber Information: The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . 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