October 21,
2003
Press Contacts at
IMLS: 202/606-8339
The Country's Highest Honor for Extraordinary
Community Service Provided by Museums and Libraries Carries with It a $10,000
Award
WASHINGTON, DC - Dr. Robert S. Martin, Director
of the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services, today announced the
2003 recipients of the National Awards for Museum and Library Service. This is
the nation's highest honor for the extraordinary public service provided by
these institutions. Each of these institutions will receive a $10,000 award.
The winners of the National Award for Library
Service are:
Bozeman Public Library (Bozeman, Montana)
Free Library of Philadelphia (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
Pocahontas County Free Libraries (Marlinton, West Virginia)
The winners of the National Award for Museum
Service are:
Carnegie Science Center, (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)
San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts, (San Angelo, Texas)
USS Constitution Museum, (Boston, Massachusetts)
Recognizing the important role of museums and
libraries in American society, the Institute annually awards museums and
libraries that exhibit outstanding service to their communities. The recipients
will be honored at a ceremony in Washington, DC, (date to be announced). The
ceremony is made possible by 3M, EBSCO Information Services, Metal Edge, Inc.,
netLibrary, and Southwest Museum Services.
The National Awards for Museum and Library Service
honor institutions for their outstanding social, educational, environmental, or
economic contributions to their communities. "Through partnerships with schools,
businesses, social service agencies, and many other groups, these museums and
libraries have uplifted lives, improved neighborhoods, and made our nation
better," said Dr. Martin.
The awards were created to underscore the vital
role of museums and libraries as leaders in our democratic society. The winners
are as diverse as the cultural landscape of our county: small and large, urban
and rural. They have one thing in common: they have each found innovative ways
to make serving the community central to their mission. They use their
collections and programs to address real community needs.
"As the primary source of federal funding for the
nation's libraries and museums, the Institute of Museum and Library Services has
a unique vantage point of the vital role these institutions play in American
society," Dr. Martin added. "This award celebrates communities, it celebrates
achievement and civic engagement, and it celebrates learning throughout the
lifetime. As a nation of learners we use libraries and museums everyday to
assist us on our quest for discovery and to satisfy our need to know."
The Institute of Museum and Library Services is an
independent federal grant-making agency dedicated to creating and sustaining a
nation of learners. The Institute fosters leadership, innovation, and a lifetime
of learning by supporting the nation's 15,000 museums and 122,000 libraries. The
Institute also encourages partnerships to expand the educational benefit of
libraries and museums. To learn more about the Institute, please log onto:
http://www.imls.gov.