The following is a text-only press release from the federal Institute of
Museum and Library Services (IMLS). An HTML version of this release can
be read on the agency's Web site at
http://www.imls.gov/news/2009/062209.shtm

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 22, 2009

Press Contacts
202-653-4632
Jeannine Mjoseth, [log in to unmask]
Mamie Bittner, [log in to unmask] 

IMLS Invites Public to 21st Century Skills Discussion at National Museum
and Services Library Board Meeting

Washington, DC-The public is invited to attend the 17th meeting of the
National Museum and Services Library Board on June 24 from 10 a.m. to 1
p.m. The Board program will focus on the Institute of Museum and Library
Services' (IMLS) Museums, Libraries and 21st Century Skills initiative.
Three experts will discuss the role of museums and libraries in
promoting 21st century skills. The meeting will take place at the IMLS
offices located at 1800 M Street, NW, 9th Floor, Board Room, Washington,
DC, 20036. 

Presenters include:
* Norma Blake, New Jersey State Librarian
* John Kenny, COO & Co-founder, e-Luminate Group
* Gary Vikan, Director, The Walters Art Museum

Background 
The Museums, Libraries and 21st Century Skills initiative underscores
the critical role our nation's libraries and museums play in helping
citizens build 21st century skills such as information, communications
and technology literacy, critical thinking, problem solving, creativity,
civic literacy, and global awareness. Recognizing that every individual
requires these competencies to succeed in 21st century life and work,
IMLS offers the Museums, Libraries, and 21st Century Skills project to:

* Support museums and public libraries in envisioning and defining their
roles as institutions of learning in the 21st century;
* Enhance understanding among policymakers and other stakeholders about
the integral roles museums and libraries play in creating an engaged
citizenry and competitive workforce. 

Museums, Libraries, and 21st Century Skills will be released in July
2009 and includes three components: 
* a report which outlines a vision for the role of libraries and museums
in the national dialogue around learning and 21st century skills and
includes case studies of innovative audience engagement and 21st century
skills practices from across the country
* A self assessment tool for museums and libraries to use to determine
where they fit on the continuum of 21st century skills operations and
programming.
* An Online Self-Assessment which offers a quick survey to analyze an
institution's 21st century strategies and describes next steps for
action.

Presenter Biographies 
Norma E. Blake has been the New Jersey State Librarian for six years.
Previously, Blake has had over 25 years experience in New Jersey
libraries, including the directorship of both the Burlington County and
Gloucester County Library System. Blake was selected as the New Jersey
Library Association's Librarian of the Year, elected President of the
state library association, chosen as a member of Leadership NJ Class of
2000 and recipient of the Distinguished Service Award 2005, by
NJLA-CUS-ARCL NJ. 

Gary Vikan was named director of Baltimore's Walters Art Museum in 1994
after serving as the museum's assistant director for curatorial affairs
and curator of medieval art since 1985. Trained as a Byzantinist, he has
published and lectured extensively on topics as varied as early
Christian pilgrimages, medicine and magic, icons and Elvis Presley. From
1999 to 2002, he was appointed by President Clinton to serve on the
Cultural Property Advisory Committee.
 
John Kenny, COO & Co-Founder, e-Luminate Group, is an education and
technology expert with more than 30 years of hands-on, tactical
entrepreneurial and management experience, John Kenny specializes in the
integration of information technology into education, business and
government. He has established a solid reputation as an insightful
business, marketing and management strategist and advisor to startup,
emerging and established companies. 

The National Museum and Library Services Board (NMLSB) is a twenty-four
member advisory body that includes the director and deputy directors of
IMLS, the chair of the National Commission on Libraries and Information
Science, and twenty presidentially appointed and Senate-confirmed
members of the general public who have demonstrated expertise in, or
commitment to, library or museum services. Informed by its collective
experience and knowledge, the NMLSB advises the IMLS director on general
policy and practices, and on selections for the National Awards for
Museum and Library Services. For more information about the National
Museum and Library Services Board visit the Institute's Web site at:
http://www.imls.gov/about/board.shtm.

About the Institute of Museum and Library Services 
The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of
federal support for the nation's 123,000 libraries and 17,500 museums.
Its mission is to grow and sustain a "Nation of Learners" because
lifelong learning is essential to a democratic society and individual
success. Through its grant making, convenings, research and
publications, the Institute empowers museums and libraries nationwide to
provide leadership and services to enhance learning in families and
communities, sustain cultural heritage, build twenty-first-century
skills, and increase civic participation. To learn more about the
Institute, please visit: www.imls.gov.

=========================================================
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).