FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 1, 2005 

Press Contacts
202/653-4632
Eileen Maxwell [log in to unmask]
Mamie Bittner [log in to unmask] 

New IMLS Publication: Charting the Landscape/Mapping New Paths: Museums,
Libraries, and K-12 Education

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS)
has released a report on how museums and libraries  bolster K-12
education and lifelong learning in communities across the Nation.
"Charting the Landscape, Mapping New Paths: Museums, Libraries, and K-12
Learning," is based on a workshop the Institute hosted August 30-31,
2004 at which more than seventy educators, researchers, policymakers,
and museum and library professionals examined K-12 collaborations among
their organizations. 

As the report notes, workshop participants agreed that in the 21st
century, a competitive and successful society will require people who
never stop learning. It is essential, therefore, to build a foundation
for lifelong learning during the elementary and secondary school years.
The responsibility for building that foundation and nurturing lifelong
learning does not rest with schools alone but cuts across institutional
boundaries to include museums, libraries, and other community
organizations.

"Congress charges the agency to encourage museum and libraries in
carrying out their educational role as core providers of learning in
conjunction with schools, families, and communities," writes Dr. Robert
S. Martin, Director of IMLS, "With that mandate, IMLS possesses a unique
vantage point for bridging these communities and convening them." 

Three key challenges to developing a "learning society" with museum,
library, and school partnerships as a central element of that society
emerged from the workshop:

* Successfully redefining education as a lifetime endeavor;
* Understanding the changing nature of professional roles;
* Moving beyond anecdotal evidence to show what works.

Workshop participants also identified steps that practitioners,
policy-makers, and museum and library professionals and educators should
take to support such a society:

* Build a community of practice by creating a clearinghouse of best
practices, funding innovative partnerships, and developing tools for
convening stakeholders.

* Build better relationships with education policy-makers, education
associations, and parent and community organizations at the federal,
state and local level.

* Support research and evaluation that examines the impact of museums
and libraries on K-12 formal and informal learning.

The report highlights projects and partnerships and can be used as a
tool to lay a foundation for understanding the power of museum, library,
school, and community collaborations in cultivating lifelong learning
societies.  It includes an appendix of selected resources, most of which
are available online and a useful glossary of terms used throughout the
workshop. To obtain free copies of the report, email the Institute of
Museum and Library Services at [log in to unmask], or access it
electronically from the agency's Web site at:
http://www.imls.gov/pubs/pdf/Charting_the_Landscape.pdf

The Institute of Museum and Library Services is an independent federal
grant-making agency dedicated to creating and sustaining a nation of
learners by helping libraries and museums serve their communities. 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
visit http://www.imls.gov.


Eileen Maxwell
Public Affairs Officer
Institute of Museum and Library Services 1800 M Street, NW 9th Floor
Washington, DC  20036-5802
202-653-4632
202-653-4600(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/subscribe.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] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes).

If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes).