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Welcome to the New and Improved
IMLS Web site!
The Institute of Museum and Library Services
launched a redesign of its Web site to the public on Friday,
February 3. “We want this site to raise awareness
about the important role of libraries and museums in American
society,” said Mary Chute, Acting Director of the
agency that is the primary source of federal funds and
leadership to the nation’s 17,500 museums and 122,000 libraries. “Our Web site is great resource for information
about trends in library and museum service. The site makes
it easy for libraries and museums to apply for grants,
get publications, and learn about community partnerships,
planning, evaluation and much more."
To ensure that the site met the needs of
stakeholders, the Institute received input throughout
the process from agency’s staff and external users,
including museums, libraries, service organizations, congressional
staff, and the media.
Please explore our new features:
Clear navigation for the agency’s
three audiences:
The new navigation of the site breaks the agency’s
grants audience into three separate categories – Applicants,
Reviewers,
and Recipients.
Within each of these three categories are a set of “Process
steps,” that clearly walk a user through the process
of applying for a grant, becoming a reviewer, or managing
their award. This revised navigation allows each audience
to find information and tools targeted to their specific
role.
Project
Profiles (Grant Project Highlights)
Highlighting the good work that museums and library
grant recipients is the most prominent feature of the new
Web site. The redesigned site places a monthly “Project
Profiles” in high visibility, with a large introductory
image on the home page and a site-wide category devoted
exclusively to showcasing the profile and profile archives.
State
Programs (Grants to State Library Administrative Agencies)
A separate category on the new site, called State Programs,
highlights projects funded by the Institute of Museum and
Library Services through grants to State Library Administrative
Agencies. Innovative and creative projects from America’s
libraries throughout the fifty states and U.S. territories
are featured here. In addition, the State Programs section
helps users find out more about what
is going on at libraries in his or her state.
 Publications
The Publications section of the new Web site provides
links to all IMLS publications in PDF format, as well
as information on how to order paper copies. The publications
can be sorted by
name or by
subject, and – coming soon – publication
date.
News
& Events
In addition to the traditional News
and Events section – which contains agency press
releases, conference information, and speeches –
the redesigned Web site features a Press
Room. This page provides quick access to highlights,
facts, and assets.
About
Us
The redesigned About
Us section of the site highlights and clarifies the
Institute of Museum and Library Services mission, structure,
and activities. A link to the agency’s page on National
Initiatives (prominently featured on the homepage)
highlights the four critical roles that museums and libraries
play in the US: Enhancing Learning in Families and Communities,
Sustaining Cultural Heritage, Building 21st Century Skills
for Library and Museum Professionals, and Creating Civic
Engagement.
The National
Initiatives section also calls attention to the Institute’s
agency-wide activities such as the Youth
Initiative, Digital
Corner (the latest in digital technologies developed
by and used in libraries and museums), and the National
Awards for Museum and Library Service, the agency’s
signature event.
 Sitewide
Features
Finally, nearly every page of the Web site has
a sidebar calling attention to popular features such as
a user-friendly
national database of awarded grants and a subscription
tool to Primary
Source, the Institute’s monthly e-mail newsletter.
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