The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is an
independent agency
A regulatory agency (regulatory body, regulator) or independent agency (independent regulatory agency) is a government authority that is responsible for exercising autonomous dominion over some area of human activity in a licensing and regulati ...
of the
United States federal government
The federal government of the United States (U.S. federal government or U.S. government) is the national government of the United States, a federal republic located primarily in North America, composed of 50 states, a city within a fe ...
established in 1996. It is the main source of federal support for
libraries
A library is a collection of Document, materials, books or media that are accessible for use and not just for display purposes. A library provides physical (hard copies) or electronic media, digital access (soft copies) materials, and may be a ...
and
museums
A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and other objects of artistic, cultural, historical, or scientific importance. Many public museums make these ...
within the United States, having the mission to "create strong libraries and museums that connect people with information and ideas."
In fiscal year 2015, IMLS had a budget of $228 million. It is a sub-agency of the
National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities
The National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities is an agency of the United States federal government that was established in 1965. Its purpose is to "develop and promote a broadly conceived national policy of support for the humanities and ...
, along with the
National Endowment for the Arts
The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal ...
, the
National Endowment for the Humanities
The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) is an independent federal agency of the U.S. government, established by thNational Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act of 1965(), dedicated to supporting research, education, preserv ...
, and the
Federal Council on the Arts and the Humanities
The National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities is an agency of the United States federal government that was established in 1965. Its purpose is to "develop and promote a broadly conceived national policy of support for the humanities and ...
.
In addition to its other responsibilities, the IMLS annually awards the
National Medal for Museum and Library Service
The National Medal for Museum and Library Service is an award given annually by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) to American libraries and museums with outstanding service to their communities. The IMLS refers to the medal as "t ...
, given for community service by libraries and museums.
IMLS is located at 955 L'Enfant Plaza North, SW, Suite 4000, Washington, D.C. 20024-2135.
History and Purpose
IMLS was established by the Museum and Library Services Act (MLSA) on September 30, 1996, which includes the
Library Services and Technology Act
The Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) was signed on October 1, 1996, by United States President Bill Clinton. LSTA is a United States federal library grant program. Its roots come from the Library Services Act that was first enacted in 1 ...
and the Museum Services Act. It consolidated the activities of the
National Commission on Libraries and Information Science
The National Commission on Libraries and Information Science (NCLIS) was an agency in the United States government between 1970 and 2008. The activities of the Commission were consolidated into the Institute of Museum and Library Services. Record ...
. The MLSA was reauthorized in 2003 and again in 2010. The law combined the
Institute of Museum Services
An institute is an organisational body created for a certain purpose. They are often research organisations (research institute, research institutes) created to do research on specific topics, or can also be a professional body.
In some countr ...
, which had been in existence since 1976, and the Library Programs Office, which had been part of the
Department of Education
An education ministry is a national or subnational government agency politically responsible for education. Various other names are commonly used to identify such agencies, such as Ministry of Education, Department of Education, and Ministry of Pub ...
since 1956. Lawmakers at that time saw "great potential in an Institute that is focused on the combined roles that libraries and museums play in our community life."
As amended, MLSA authorizes IMLS to promote improvements in library services; to facilitate access to resources in libraries; to encourage resource sharing among libraries; to support museums in fulfilling their public service and educational roles; to encourage leadership and innovation to enhance museum services; to assist museums in the conservation of America's heritage; to support museums in achieving the highest standards of management and service to the public; and to support resource sharing among museums, libraries and other organizations. MLSA also authorizes IMLS to carry out and publish analyses of the impact of museum and library services.
The act comes up for reauthorization every 5 years. Adjustment to the act have been made over time.
In April 2014, Representative
Paul Ryan (R-WI) recommended that the federal government not fund MLSA and "shift the federal agency’s responsibilities to the private sector in his 2015 fiscal year budget resolution"
such as "funded at the state and local level and augmented significantly by charitable contributions from the private sector".
Consolidation
Following a proposal by President
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...
, the activities of the
National Commission on Libraries and Information Science
The National Commission on Libraries and Information Science (NCLIS) was an agency in the United States government between 1970 and 2008. The activities of the Commission were consolidated into the Institute of Museum and Library Services. Record ...
was consolidated under IMLS, along with some of the activities of the
National Center for Education Statistics, in order to create a unified body for federal support of library and information policy. The consolidation took effect in early 2008.
Leadership
When Congress passed the Library Services and Technology Act in 1996, it moved library responsibilities out of the Department of Education and created the IMLS as new agency. The act stipulated that the agency maintain a rotating directorship starting with the former director of the Institute of Museum Services for a four-year term. In the fifth year, the directorship would pass to a representative from the field of library and information science.
Directors of the Institute of Museum and Library Services
Diane Frankel (1996): prior to leading the agency through its transition to include federal library as well as museum programs, Frankel served as director of the Institute of Museum Services.
Robert S. Martin (2001): preceding his position at IMLS, Martin was a professor and interim director of the School of Library and Information Studies at Texas Woman's University. He also served as Director and Librarian of the
Texas State Library and Archives Commission
The Texas State Library and Archives Commission (TSLAC) refers to the agency in the state of Texas that assists the people of Texas to effectively use information, archival resources, public records and library materials to improve their lives, th ...
. He articulated the convergence of new media in lifelong learning at the beginning of the millennium at the 21st Century Learners Conference in November, 2001.
Anne-Imelda Radice
Anne-Imelda Marino Radice (born February 29, 1948, in Buffalo) is an American art historian and curator. Radice currently serves as the Management Analyst for the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Career
Born in Buffalo to Lawrence and A ...
(2006): she previously served as chief of staff for the U.S. Department of Education and as curator in the Office of the Architect of the Capitol. She earned a bachelor's degree from Wheaton College in Norton, Massachusetts; a master's degree from Villa Schifanoia Graduate School of Fine Arts in Florence, Italy; a second master’s from American University in Washington, D.C.; and a Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Susan H. Hildreth (2011): she began her career as a branch librarian at the Edison Township Library in New Jersey, where she was president of the Public Library Association. She has also been the city librarian in Seattle and state librarian of California. In addition, Hildreth was deputy director of San Francisco Public Library.
Dr. Kathryn K. Matthew (2015): a scientist with a 30-year museum career, Matthew’s experience includes curation, collections management, and research roles at the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia and Cranbrook Institute of Science. Her experience includes fundraising and marketing roles at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, the Virginia Museum of Natural History, The Nature Conservancy, the Historic Charleston Foundation, and The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis. She was also executive director of the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science.
Crosby Kemper III
Rufus Crosby Kemper III is the current director of the U.S. National Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). Previously director of the Kansas City Public Library from 2005 until 2020, Kemper's other experience includes CEO/Chairman of UMB ...
(2020): previous director of the
Kansas City Public Library
The Kansas City Public Library is a public system headquartered in the Central Library in Kansas City, Missouri.
The system operates its Central Library and neighborhood branches located in Kansas City, Independence, and Sugar Creek. Founde ...
, from 2005 until his confirmation as IMLS Director.
Grants
The Institute of Museum and Library Services offers numerous grants for museums, libraries, and other cultural heritage institutions. The grants support the IMLS's strategic goals of advancing "innovation, lifelong learning, and cultural and civic engagement."
Research
The Office of Impact Assessment and Learning (OIAL) "supports the agency in its efforts to create strong libraries and museums that connect people to information and ideas." OIAL performs three key functions: policy research, evaluations, and survey and data collection.
Survey and data collection
*''Data Catalog'' – Data relating to grants administration and data about libraries, museums, and related organizations.
*''Public Library Survey'' (PLS) – collects data from 9,000 public library systems and 17,000 public library outlets.
*''State Library Agency Survey'' (SLAA) – provides descriptive data about state libraries.
*''Public Needs for Library and Museum Services Survey'' (PNLMS) – measures "expectations and satisfaction" with cultural heritage institutions through a household survey.
*''Museum Universe Data File'' (MUDF) – contains information about cultural heritage institutions in the United States.
*''Administration Discretionary Grant Data'' – Records of grants funded by IMLS since FY 1996.
Public Meetings
Agendas and published minutes:
Agenda for the 44th Meeting of the NMLS Board, 10 December 2021
References
External links
FederalRegister.gov — Institute of Museum and Library Services{{Authority control
Library-related organizations
Library-related professional associations
Museums in the United States
Museum-related professional associations
Government agencies established in 1996
Independent agencies of the United States government
1996 establishments in the United States
National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities