FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 6, 2007

IMLS Press Contacts
202-653-4632
Jeannine Mjoseth, jmjoseth@imls.gov
Mamie Bittner, mbittner@imls.gov

Five Museums and Five Libraries Receive
Nation’s Highest Honor for Extraordinary Community Service

Institutions will be Honored in Washington, D.C. Ceremony and Receive $10,000 award

WASHINGTON, DC--Five museums and five libraries have been selected for the 2007 National Medal for Museum and Library Service, the nation’s highest honor for the extraordinary public service provided by these institutions, announced Anne-Imelda M. Radice, Director of the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services. In keeping with the 2007 name change to the National Medal for Museum and Library Service (previously known as the National Award), recipient institutions will be awarded a newly-minted medal in recognition of their extraordinary civic, educational, economic, environmental, and social contributions. Each organization will also be honored in a special ceremony in Washington, D.C., and receive a $10,000 award.

The winners of the 2007 National Medal for Museum and Library Service are:

1. Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, Birmingham, Alabama
2. Brookfield Zoo of the Chicago Zoological Society, Brookfield, Illinois
3. Georgetown County Library, Georgetown, South Carolina
4. Kim Yerton Branch of the Humboldt County Library, Hoopa, California
5. Memphis Public Library & Information Center, Memphis, Tennessee
6. National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, DC
7. The Newberry Library, Chicago, Illinois
8. Ocean County Library, Toms River, New Jersey
9. Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, Portland, Oregon
10. Vermont Historical Society, Barre, Vermont

“The Institute of Museum and Library Services is awarding the National Medal to these 10 museums and libraries because they provide ground-breaking programs that respond to community challenges, serve as models for the nation’s museums and libraries, and most of all make a difference in people’s lives. I applaud their good work and encourage others to follow their example,” Radice said.

As the primary source of federal funding for museums and libraries, the Institute has a unique vantage point of the vital role these institutions play in American society. The National Medal for Museum and Library Service was created to underscore that role. The winners are as diverse as the nation’s cultural landscape: small and large, urban and rural. They have one thing in common: they have developed innovative ways to serve their communities.

Click here to view past recipients of the National Medal.

Nominate a museum or library for the 2008 National Medal for Museum and Library Service. (Application Deadline is February 15, 2008.)

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. The Institute's mission is to create strong libraries and museums that connect people to information and ideas. The Institute works at the national level and in coordination with state and local organizations to sustain heritage, culture, and knowledge; enhance learning and innovation; and support professional development. To learn more about the Institute, please visit www.imls.gov.