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 [log in to unmask]