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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Updated February 15, 2006

Press Contact
202-653-4632
Eileen Maxwell, emaxwell@imls.gov

Mrs. Laura Bush Presents Nation’s Top Library and Museum Awards at White House Ceremony

Alaska, North Carolina, Ohio, Kansas, Minnesota, and Virginia Institutions Were Honored

First Lady Laura Bush presents the 2005 National Awards for Museum and Library Service Washington, D.C. – Mrs. Laura Bush presented the 2005 National Awards for Museum and Library Service to three museums and three libraries at a ceremony on January 30th at the White House. It is the highest honor the nation confers on these institutions for their outstanding contribution to America’s communities. The awards are made annually by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) to museums and libraries that have demonstrated a long-term commitment to public service through innovative programs and community partnerships. The awards include prizes of $10,000 to each recipient and an awards ceremony in the East Room of the White House to help raise public awareness of the good work museums and libraries do in their communities.

The awards ceremony featured individuals from all walks of life whose lives have been changed for the better as a result of these award winning libraries and museums. “We are so proud of these libraries and museums,” said Mrs. Laura Bush. “They are centers of excellence that reach out to everyone in their communities. They are lifetime partners in discovery, imagination and learning that we can call on again and again throughout our lives.”

“These libraries and museums are cornerstones of our democracy. They help to create and sustain a nation of learners,” said IMLS Acting Director Mary Chute. The Institute of Museum and Library Services, an independent federal agency, fosters leadership, innovation, and a lifetime of learning through support to the nation’s 15,000 museums and 122,000 libraries.The winning institutions are:

• COSI Toledo, Toledo, Ohio
• Johnson County Library, Overland Park, Kansas
• Levine Museum of the New South, Charlotte, North Carolina
• Mathews Memorial Library, Mathews, Virginia
• Pratt Museum, Homer, Alaska
• Saint Paul Public Library, Saint Paul, Minnesota

The National Award for Museum Service was established in 1994, and the National Award for Library Service in 2000. Recipients of the awards are chosen for their innovative approaches to public service, and for their success in improving communities and making a difference in peoples’ lives. All types of museums, from anthropological to zoological, fine art to folk art, urban, suburban, rural, large and small are eligible for the award. Public and private nonprofit libraries are eligible to receive this award, and nominations of libraries of all sizes are encouraged.

Important Links:

Nominate a Museum or Library for a National Award
First Lady Laura Bush's Full Remarks
IMLS Acting Director Mary Chute's Full Remarks
2005 National Awards Brochure (PDF, 1MB)
Past Winners of the National Awards for Museum and Library Service

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 122,000 libraries and 17,500 museums. Its mission is to grow and sustain a “Nation of Learners” because life-long 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: http://www.imls.gov.