There has been no mention of the Senate LSTA BILL, S. 856 on the list which
proposes a merger of the Institute of Museum Services and the Library
Services and Construction Act. A notice was put on the ALAWON listserv and
someone gave me a hardcopy. Someone with access to ALAWON might want to
reproduce the entire article for us as passage would mean major changes to
IMS.

Title II - Museum and Library Services Act

The legislation calls for a merger of the Institute of Museum Services and
the Library Services and Construction Act into the Institute of Museum
Services and Library Services. Provisions relating to the IMS have been
maintained from current law while many of the provisions relating to the
LSCA have been changed . . .

The committee believes that support for museums and libraries is vital as
they are institutions which have proven effective in enhancing educational
opportunities for all. By uniting the forces of libraries and museums in
local communities, the committee believes that learning opportunities will
be enhanced for individuals in those communities.

The Director of the IMS&LS shall be appointed by the President, with advice
and consent of the Senate for a term of 4 years. The Direcor will oversee
the Office of Museum Services and the Office of Library Services. The
expertise of the Director shall rotate each term between an individualwho
has special competence with regard to museum service and an individual who
has competence with regard to library and information services in order to
ensure a balance in administering these programs. . .

...the committee sees great potential in an Institute that is focused on
the combined roles that libraries and museums play in our community life,
in support of research, learning, and entertainment, and in support of
American culture and history. The joint museum-library projects called for
in the committee bill could include projects in which libraries and museums
cooperate in helping children learn and discover; cooprdinate related
preservation projects; make use of electronic networks and digital media;
or develop joint exhibits, just to cite a few examples.
---------------------------

Given the discussions about the nature of museums and libraries on the list
I think this development is very interesting. I also wonder whether it
would be possible for the AAM to develop an advisory service similar to
that of ALAWON -- by the time anything appears in AVISO it is old; by the
time it hits MUSEUM NEWS it is ancient. ALAWON has a very effective
electronic journal that I intend to subscribe to.


Byron A. Johnson, Exec. Dir.
Tampa Bay History Center
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