Press Releases
May 16, 2012
Report from the Institute of Museum and Library Services and the Salzburg Global Seminar convening of 58 library, museum and cultural heritage leaders from 31 countries to explore the changing nature of "community," "access," "public value" and "participation writ large" in a digital world.
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May 15, 2012
Back by popular demand! Join IMLS, Heritage Preservation and panelists from WebWise to discuss “Sharing Public History Work: Crowdsourcing Data” and “Oral History in the Digital Age.”
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May 09, 2012
IMLS is working to make its grant applications more clear, concise and well-organized. We encourage interested parties to review our draft and let us know how we’re doing.
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May 08, 2012
Museum and library professional exchange continues to play an important role in people-to-people engagement between the U.S. and China.
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Apr 26, 2012
The Institute of Museum and Library Services today announced 31 Conservation Project Support grants totaling $2,614,183. Recipients are matching these awards with $4,009,698 in non-federal funds. IMLS received 128 CPS applications this year, requesting a total of $9,954,623.
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Apr 24, 2012
IMLS and the Administration for Children and Families are teaming up to spur collaboration between Head Start and child care programs and libraries to enhance early learning.
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Apr 17, 2012
The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is accepting applications in the Learning Labs in Libraries and Museums grant program, with a deadline of June 15, 2012.
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Apr 13, 2012
IMLS has made new resources available to museums and libraries looking to build 21st century skills in their communities.
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Mar 22, 2012
The Institute of Museum and Library Services today posted the webcast of WebWise 2012
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Mar 21, 2012
IMLS has released Building Digital Communities: A Framework for Action and its companion primer Building Digital Communities: Getting Started, new resources to help set a vision for the future.
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Mar 19, 2012
The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is accepting applications in the Native Hawaiian Library Services grant program, with a deadline of May 15, 2012.
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Feb 13, 2012
The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is accepting applications in the Native American Library Services: Enhancement Grants program, with a deadline of May 1, 2012.
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Feb 13, 2012
President Obama has requested $231,953,777 for fiscal year 2013 for the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), an amount equal to the agency’s current funding.
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Feb 08, 2012
Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) Director Susan Hildreth and other IMLS officials will present a briefing on the agency’s FY 2013 budget request.
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Feb 06, 2012
IMLS has released its report on the State Library Survey for fiscal year 2010, providing valuable information to library policy makers and other interested parties.
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Feb 01, 2012
The deadline for applications for the 2012 National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Awards has been extended.
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Jan 18, 2012
The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is accepting applications in the Native American/Native Hawaiian Museum Services grant program, with a deadline of April 2, 2012.
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Jan 09, 2012
The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is accepting applications in the 21st Century Museum Professionals grant program, with a deadline of March 15, 2012.
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Jan 06, 2012
Registration is now open for the Institute of Museum and Library Services’ (IMLS) WebWise Conference, which will take place February 29th-March 2nd at the Renaissance Baltimore Harborplace in Baltimore, MD. Today conference organizers announced that actor and literacy champion LeVar Burton has been chosen as one of the keynote speakers. Burton will speak on the morning of March 1.
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Jan 04, 2012
Statement of IMLS Director Susan Hildreth: I am pleased to announce the appointment of Robert Horton as IMLS Associate Deputy Director for Library Services. In his new position at IMLS, he is responsible for the management of the discretionary grant programs in the Office of Library Services.
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Jan 03, 2012
The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is accepting applications in the Native American Library Services Basic Grants grant program, with a deadline of March 1, 2012.
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Jan 03, 2012
The Institute of Museum and Library Services and seven global partners today awarded approximately $4.8 million to international research teams investigating how computational techniques may be applied to “big data” —the massive multisource datasets made possible by modern technology.
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Dec 28, 2011
The President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Institute of Museum and Library Services, is accepting applications for the 2012 National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Awards.
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Dec 23, 2011
IMLS Director Susan Hildreth is pleased to announce two recent appointments.
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Dec 06, 2011
Ten museums and libraries were awarded the 2011 National Medal for Museum and Library Service in a ceremony. The medal is the highest honor conferred on museums and libraries for service to the community.
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Dec 02, 2011
IMLS is committing up to $2 million of FY12 National Leadership Grant funds to advance the goals of the Campaign for Grade Level Reading. The agency has scheduled two Web conferences for prospective applicants to learn more about this new opportunity.
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Dec 02, 2011
Susan Hildreth releases the agency’s new strategic plan for FY 2012 – FY 2016. The plan envisions a democratic society where communities and individuals thrive with broad public access to knowledge, cultural heritage and lifelong learning.
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Nov 30, 2011
The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is accepting applications in the following grant program: National Leadership Grants. Deadline: February 1, 2012
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Nov 30, 2011
The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is accepting applications in the following grant program: Sparks! Ignition Grants for Libraries and Museums. Deadline: February 1, 2012
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Nov 21, 2011
The President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities and IMLS have partnered with the nonprofit the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers to create the National Student Poets Program, the country’s highest honor for youth poets whose original work exhibits exceptional creativity, dedication to craft and promise.
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Nov 18, 2011
IMLS reports library visits at record high.
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Nov 18, 2011
The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is accepting applications in the following grant program: Connecting to Collections Statewide Implementation Grants. Deadline: February 1, 2012.
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Nov 17, 2011
Today, the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation announced the first 12 winners of a national competition to build 21st Century learning labs in museums and libraries around the country.
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Nov 04, 2011
IMLS has awarded a grant of $249,871 to OCLC’s WebJunction for a project aimed at helping communities across the country get started on the path to digital inclusion. The project will complement IMLS’s efforts to help libraries and other community-based organizations (CBOs) make strategic decisions about providing public access to broadband.
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Nov 04, 2011
IMLS announced today that George Mason University’s Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media (CHNM), partnering with the Balboa Park Online Collaborative (BPOC), has been chosen to help organize the 2012 WebWise Conference on Libraries and Museums in the Digital Age.
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Nov 03, 2011
With their personal stories offering dramatic proof that arts and humanities programs can build critical learning and life skills, twelve young people from across the country were awarded the 2011 National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award by First Lady Michelle Obama on November 2.
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Nov 02, 2011
The Institute of Museum and Library Services, working together with the International City/County Management Association and the University of Washington Information School, is seeking public input on its proposed framework for Building Digitally Inclusive Communities.
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Nov 01, 2011
The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is accepting applications in the following grant program: Museum Grants for African American History and Culture. Deadline: January 17, 2012.
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Oct 25, 2011
The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) has selected five libraries and five museums to receive the 2011 National Medal for Museum and Library Service.
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Oct 06, 2011
Supporters of outstanding museums and libraries are encouraged to nominate these institutions for the National Medal for Museum and Library Service, the nation’s highest honor for exemplary museum and library community service. The National Medal honors museums and libraries that make extraordinary civic, educational, economic, environmental, and social contributions. The winners are honored at a National Medal award ceremony held in Washington, D.C..
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Sep 27, 2011
The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) announced today 10 awards totaling $1,989,953 matched with $2,414,685 of non-federal funds for 21st Century Museum Professionals Grants. IMLS received 52 applications requesting $12,979,870 in funds.
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Sep 27, 2011
The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) announced today 48 awards totaling $14,661,217 matched with $12,929,824 of non-federal funds for National Leadership Grants. IMLS received 210 applications requesting $80,179,046 in funds.
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Sep 23, 2011
The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is accepting applications in the following grant program: Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program; Deadline: December 15, 2011.
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Sep 23, 2011
Independent study evaluates the IMLS Museums for America Grants program. The two-year study examines the program’s efficacy in serving the museum community and the impact of the MFA program and MFA-funded projects.
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Sep 20, 2011
The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) announced today 2 awards totaling $565,700 matched with $166,855 of non-federal funds for Native Hawaiian Library Services Program Grants. IMLS received 2 applications requesting $775,325 in funds.
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Sep 15, 2011
The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) announced today 15 awards totaling $2,010,695 matched with $965,369 of non-federal funds for Native American Library Services Enhancement Program Grants. IMLS received 45 applications requesting $5,588,368 in funds.
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Sep 15, 2011
The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) announced today 21 awards totaling $984,287 matched with $667,834 of non-federal funds for Native American/Native Hawaiian Museum Services Program Grants. IMLS received 33 applications requesting $1,457,837 in funds.
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Sep 09, 2011
IMLS has announced a three-city tour to receive community input on creating digitally inclusive communities. IMLS director, Susan Hildreth will visit Los Angeles, California, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and Bangor, Maine and work with state librarians to lead community and leadership forums. “We are looking forward to hearing directly from community members and local officials about the challenges they face in creating digitally inclusive communities” said Susan Hildreth, IMLS Director.
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Aug 29, 2011
The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is accepting applications for Museums for America Grants.
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Aug 25, 2011
The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), today announced the launch of a new blog, UpNext! The primary goal of the blog is to be a relevant and engaging online community where readers and contributors have a collaborative, open, and transparent environment to share their views and expertise.
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Aug 15, 2011
Nearly 1,400 of you participated in our "virtual town hall" during the last four weeks! Last month, we launched a social media tool called "IdeaScale" to get public input to help shape the IMLS strategic plan. While we know that rapid changes are stressing our communities and our institutions, a browse through the many ideas that were shared demonstrate the resilience, optimism and public value of libraries and museums.
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Aug 12, 2011
This is an important time in the development of the Institute of Museum and Library Services. During my term at IMLS we will be implementing the reauthorization of the Museum and Library Services Act, developing a new five year strategic plan with emphasis on performance, and responding to and planning for reduced budgets.
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Aug 02, 2011
The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is accepting applications in the following grant program: Conservation Project Support; Deadline: October 3, 2011.
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Jul 29, 2011
The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) announced today 160 awards totaling $18,777,552 matched with $32,007,711 of non-federal funds for Museums for America Program Grants. IMLS received 481 applications requesting $53,655,280 in funds.
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Jul 26, 2011
The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) announced today 15 awards totaling $1,455,606 matched with $1,668,215 of non-federal funds for Museum Grants for African American History and Culture. IMLS received 41 applications requesting $4,433,894 in funds.
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Jul 15, 2011
The 4th of July has come and gone and mid-summer is upon us. Hopefully you have some time to relax this summer, maybe vacationing, staycationing, or spending time with family and friends. While the summer can be a busy time for museums and libraries, visitors and children on summer vacation can spend more time using our services, remember that downtime is necessary! It helps us recharge and can increase creativity and productivity.
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Jul 15, 2011
The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) wants your ideas on how it can carry out its statutory responsibility “to support museum, library, and information services to meet the information, education, research, economic, cultural, and civic needs of the people of the United States.”
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Jun 29, 2011
The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) invites proposals to develop and host the 2012 and prospectively 2013, WebWise Conferences on Libraries and Museums in the Digital World in cooperation with IMLS.
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Jun 27, 2011
Public access computers in U.S. public libraries continue to be in high demand according to Who’s in the Queue: Public Access Computer Users, a new research brief by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). The report dispels some myths that have lingered regarding the target service population for public access computers in U.S. public libraries.
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Jun 21, 2011
The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) announced today 215 awards totaling $1,531,000 for the Native American Library Services Basic Grant and Basic Grant with Education/Assessment Option Program. IMLS received 219 applications requesting $1,570,000 in funds.
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Jun 21, 2011
The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) announced today 24 awards totaling $11,227,761 matched with 25,398,758 of non-federal funds for Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program Grants. IMLS received 119 applications requesting $55,826,525 in funds.
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Jun 17, 2011
Public libraries have become essential points of access to the Internet and computers in local communities, with nearly every library in the country offering public internet access. Yet, individual library practices can have significant affect on the quality and character of this public service. Opportunity for All: How Library Policies and Practices Impact Public Internet Access, offers an analysis of the service in four public library systems and makes recommendations.
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Jun 17, 2011
President Obama recently kicked off the year of Strong Fathers, Strong Families as part of his Fatherhood and Mentoring Initiative. It's an effort with partners from around the nation to create simple opportunities for dads and kids to connect. “Father's Day reminds us parents that we have no more solemn obligation than to care for our children. But far too many young people in America grow up without their dads, and our families and communities are challenged as a result,” said President Obama.
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Jun 17, 2011
Libraries, businesses, hospitals, schools, cultural institutions, community technology centers and local governments face difficult decisions about how to create and sustain access to broadband technologies. To help community leaders make strategic decisions about technology investments, the Institute of Museum and Library Services released, Building Digitally Inclusive Communities: A guide to the proposed framework.
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Jun 17, 2011
The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) announces the availability of application guidelines for the “Learning Labs in Libraries and Museums” project, funded jointly by IMLS and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.
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Jun 07, 2011
The National Museum and Library Services Board meeting will be held at the Institute of Museum and Library Services offices at 1800 M St., NW on June 13, 2011 from 1 – 3:30 p.m. This meeting is open to the public and will be an important opportunity to participate in the development of the next five year strategic plan for IMLS.
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May 23, 2011
The Conservation Assessment Program (CAP), which assists small museums in providing appropriate care for endangered collections, has announced this year’s participating museums. In 2011, 101 museums in 36 states and Puerto Rico will have the condition of their collections and historic structures assessed. CAP is administered by Heritage Preservation and funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services through its National Leadership Grants program.
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May 23, 2011
Today, First Lady Michelle Obama and Institute of Museum and Library Services Director Susan Hildreth announced the launch of Let’s Move! Museums & Gardens. The national initiative will provide opportunities for millions of museum and garden visitors to learn about healthy food choices and will promote physical activity through interactive exhibits and programs.
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May 20, 2011
The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) announced today 31 awards totaling $2,641,657 matched with $3,317,978 of non-federal funds for Conservation Project Support Grants. IMLS received 136 applications requesting $10,719,667 in funds.
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May 19, 2011
Recently, terrible storms hit the southeast region of the country bringing tragic and heartbreaking loss of life. The storms also left many buildings, homes and even libraries destroyed and in need of major repair.
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May 16, 2011
The Museum Assessment Program (MAP), a proven initiative that promotes professional practices in museums and the field, has announced its latest group of participants. The program is funded by the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and throughout its 30 years has been administered by the American Association of Museums (AAM). As part of the IMLS National Leadership program, MAP advances best practices and fosters improvement in museums.
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May 03, 2011
The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) announced today 14 awards totaling $336,281 matched with $360,444 of non-federal funds for Sparks! Ignition Grants. IMLS received 106 applications requesting $2,468,234 in funds.
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May 02, 2011
The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) invites proposals to develop and host the 2012 and prospectively 2013, WebWise Conferences on Libraries and Museums in the Digital World in cooperation with IMLS.
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Apr 28, 2011
The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) announced today 6 awards totaling $1,402,322 matched with $92,270 of non-federal funds for Connecting to Collections Statewide Implementation Grants. IMLS received 12 applications requesting $2,574,747 in funds.
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Apr 26, 2011
In allocating the FY 11 appropriation, we have carefully reviewed our strategic priorities and our activities that have the greatest impact.
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Apr 18, 2011
Many State Library Administrative Agencies (SLAAs) are reporting steep and sudden declines in state revenues for library services, according to a report released today by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). The majority of states reported reductions, with six states reporting losses of greater than 15 percent in one year. Overall, 51 SLAAs collected $34 million less in state revenue in FY 2009 than they did in FY 2008.
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Apr 15, 2011
Each year in April we have the opportunity to recognize the excellent work of our nation's libraries. National Library Week and School Library Month help us to reflect on the essential role of libraries and library professionals.
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Apr 15, 2011
Washington, DC—Webcasts of the 2011 WebWise Conference on "Libraries, Museums, and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) in Research, Education, and Practice", held March 9-11, 2011 in Baltimore, Maryland are now available online. Libraries and museums are partners in the national effort to improve STEM learning in the US. They support both formal and informal learning with projects that range from fostering group investigation and creation techniques for youth to tackling the...
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Apr 08, 2011
Washington, DC—The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation are pleased to announce that they will support a partnership between the Urban Libraries Council and the Association of Science-Technology Centers to manage the Learning Labs Project. Together they will commit $4 million to support knowledge sharing activities for museums and libraries nationwide, a framework for measuring outcomes, and grants to create up to 30 new Learning L
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Mar 23, 2011
The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) announced today 54 awards totaling $152,112 for American Heritage Preservation grants. IMLS received 146 applications requesting $412,952 in funds.
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Mar 16, 2011
It is a great honor to be appointed by the President and confirmed by the US Senate to serve as the fourth director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).
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Mar 16, 2011
Today, eight international research funders are jointly announcing their participation in round two of the Digging into Data Challenge, a grant competition designed to spur cutting edge research in the humanities and social sciences.
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Mar 10, 2011
“What are the characteristics of a successful digitally-inclusive community?" Over 70 organizations with deep knowledge about public access technology and the diverse educational and information needs of communities will spend the next few weeks considering that question.
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Mar 02, 2011
On February 24, 2011, the Honorable Stephen G. Breyer, Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court, administered a ceremonial oath of office to Susan H. Hildreth, the new Director of the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services before a gathering of library and museum leaders, federal and state officials, national service organizations and congressional staff.
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Feb 14, 2011
President Obama has requested $242,605,000 for fiscal year 2012 for the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).
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Feb 08, 2011
The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is accepting grant applications to the Native American Library Services Enhancement Grant program.
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Feb 01, 2011
The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is accepting grant applications to the Native American/Native Hawaiian (NANH) Museum Services program.
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Feb 01, 2011
The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) has awarded nine Save America’s Treasures Grants. Save America’s Treasures makes critical investments in the preservation of our nation’s most significant and endangered cultural treasures, which illustrate, interpret, and embody the great events, ideas, and individuals that contribute to America’s history and culture.
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Jan 25, 2011
On January 25 IMLS, together with White Oak Institute and the American Association of Museums will convene a group of museum experts to discuss data definitions for Museums Count, an IMLS initiative to build a comprehensive, real-time, web-based database of museums in the United States.
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Jan 21, 2011
The new year is always a good time to look back and look ahead, and, as I write this, I am preparing to leave the acting director’s position to return to serving as IMLS Deputy for Museum Services and Director of Strategic Partnerships. It’s been a privilege to serve at the helm of the Institute of Museum and Library Services over the past ten months.
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Jan 20, 2011
The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation announced today that they are seeking a cooperating partner to coordinate and manage a national grant competition that will fund the creation of up to 30 learning labs in libraries and museums across the country.
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Jan 19, 2011
Washington, DC—The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is hosting a webinar for library professionals to discuss the central role that libraries play in cultivating the creativity, critical thinking, collaboration, and communications skills that individuals need to be successful in the 21st century.
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Jan 14, 2011
The Institute of Museum and Library Services is pleased to announce the selection of the Digital Inclusion Working Group. The working group will meet January 24-26 in Washington, DC and assist in the development of a Framework for Digitally-Inclusive Communities that can be used by local communities to assess their complex needs for public access technology.
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Jan 10, 2011
The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is accepting applications for the 2011 21st Century Museum Professionals grants program. Proposals will be accepted from museums, museum service organizations, and universities for projects that will improve the knowledge and skills of museum staff in multiple institutions.
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Jan 07, 2011
The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is pleased to announce that Dominican University and the Chicago Public Library will present a workshop on “21st Century Skills: How Does Your Organization Stack Up?” The workshop will explore concepts introduced in the IMLS report “Museums, Libraries and 21st Century Skills.”
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Jan 05, 2011
Supporters of outstanding museums and libraries are encouraged to nominate these institutions for the National Medal for Museum and Library Service, the nation’s highest honor for exemplary museum and library community service. The National Medal honors museums and libraries that make extraordinary civic, educational, economic, environmental, and social contributions. Medal winners receive a $10,000 award and are honored at a National Medal award ceremony held in Washington, D.C.
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Dec 23, 2010
On December 22, 2010 Susan Hildreth's nomination to be director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) was confirmed by unanimous consent by the United States Senate.
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Dec 23, 2010
The President signed into law the Museum and Library Services Act of 2010 (S. 3984) on December 22, 2010. The new law reauthorizes the existing programs of the Institute of Museum and Library Services with some important changes.
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Dec 17, 2010
First Lady Michelle Obama presented the 2010 National Medal for Museum and Library Service to five museums and five libraries at a White House ceremony today. The National Medal is the highest honor the nation confers on these institutions for their outstanding contribution to America’s communities.
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Dec 17, 2010
The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is accepting applications for the 2011 Native American Library Services Basic Grant program. Federally recognized Indian tribes and Alaska Native villages and corporations may apply for these grants in either the Basic or the Basic with Education/Assessment Option categories.
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Dec 14, 2010
We at IMLS mourn the passing of Dr. Peter C. Marzio, director of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, on Thursday, December 9, at the age of 67.
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Dec 02, 2010
The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is accepting grant applications for the agency’s 2011 National Leadership Grant (NLG) program. Applications, guidelines, and examples of successful proposals can be found on the agency’s Web site. The deadline for submitting applications is February 1, 2011.
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Nov 30, 2010
The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) invites nominations for the 2011 National Arts and Humanities Youth Program (NAHYP), which is the Nation’s highest honor for out-of-school, afterschool, and summer arts and humanities programs that celebrate the creativity of America’s youth, particularly those from underserved communities.
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Nov 30, 2010
The American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress and the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) invite the public to Work and Transformation: Documenting Working Americans, a free two-day public symposium on the documentation of work, workers, and the culture of work in contemporary America. The symposium will take place at the Library of Congress on Monday, December 6 and Tuesday, December 7, 2010.
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Nov 15, 2010
The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is pleased to announce the availability of guidelines and application forms for the 2011 Museum Grants for African American History and Culture.
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Oct 27, 2010
On October 18, Archivist of the United States David S. Ferreiro administered the oath of office to six new members of the National Museum and Library Services Board (NMLSB), the advisory board of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). All six new members were appointed by President Obama and confirmed by the U.S. Senate earlier this year.
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Oct 19, 2010
The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) announced today that it is awarding a $150,000 cooperative agreement to the University of Washington in partnership with the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) to develop a framework for digitally inclusive communities.
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Oct 18, 2010
I am pleased to let you know that IMLS has just released Connecting to Collections: A Report to the Nation. As many of you are aware, the 2005 IMLS-supported Heritage Health Index provided a comprehensive look at the state of collections held in libraries, museums, archives, scientific organizations and historical societies.
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Oct 15, 2010
From October 28 through December 9, the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), in partnership with Heritage Preservation and the American Association for State and Local History (AASLH), will be sponsoring a series of six webinars based on the national initiative Connecting to Collections: A Call to Action.
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Oct 12, 2010
The National Museum and Library Services Board meeting will focus on the role of libraries and museums in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) learning.
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Oct 07, 2010
On October 6, Mary Minow of California was appointed to the National Museum and Library Services Board (NMLSB). Minow was nominated by President Obama on April 26 and confirmed by the Senate on September 29. The NMLSB advises the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), the primary source of federal support for the nation’s libraries and museums.
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Oct 05, 2010
The Institute of Museum and Library Services, the primary source of federal support for the nation’s museums and libraries, has released Connecting to Collections: A Report to the Nation. The report describes how IMLS engaged dozens of public and private partners to reach thousands of museum and library professionals with resources and technical assistance to care for endangered collections.
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Sep 28, 2010
More than 150,000 book lovers flocked to the tenth annual National Book Festival held September 25, 2010, on the National Mall. President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama acted as honorary chairs of the free festival, which was sponsored by the Library of Congress. For many families, the most popular tent was the Pavilion of the States, supported for the ninth year by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).
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Sep 28, 2010
The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) invites proposals from libraries; archives; and library agencies, associations, and consortia for the Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian (LB21) grant program.
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Sep 28, 2010
The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) today announced the seven recipients of FY 2010 21st Century Museum Professionals (21MP) grants totaling $1,795,798. These grants are designed to strengthen the knowledge, skills, and abilities of museum professionals.
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Sep 27, 2010
The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), the primary source of federal support for the nation’s museums and libraries, announced the 34 institutions that are receiving National Leadership Grants (NLG) totaling $17,311,078.
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Sep 23, 2010
IMLS is announcing a contract with the White Oak Institute and the American Association of Museums to develop standard data definitions in collaboration with the museum field. This work is part of the agency’s museum data collection project, Museums Count.
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Sep 17, 2010
The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is pleased to announce the Native Hawaiian Library Services (NHLS) grantees for 2010: Alu Like, Inc., which will be awarded $420,000, and Hawai`i Maoli, which will receive $150,000. The grant program supports projects that increase access to, and use of, Hawaiian cultural and language resources; improve children’s reading skills; and help Native Hawaiians acquire literacy, computer, and employment skills.
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Sep 17, 2010
I would like to recognize the museum and library professionals who have taken time out of their busy schedules in the past year to serve as panelists in our Washington D.C. offices or to participate as field reviewers. Everywhere I go, time and time again, I hear that the IMLS peer review process is the "gold standard" to which other organizations aspire.
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Sep 16, 2010
In support of President Obama's "Educate to Innovate" call to action, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) today announced plans to create up to 30 new youth learning labs in libraries and museums across the country.
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Sep 09, 2010
The Institute of Museum and Library Services announces the release of grant guidelines for Sparks! Ignition Grants for Libraries and Museums. This new grant program will provide one-year grants of $10,000 to $25,000 for innovative projects that respond to the challenges and opportunities facing cultural heritage institutions in a rapidly changing information environment. The submission deadline is November 15, 2010.
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Sep 09, 2010
The Institute of Museum and Library Services today released its agency sustainability plan, setting goals for environmental and energy performance. The plan is part of a federal government-wide initiative President Obama called for in an October 2009 Executive Order, which directed all agencies to contribute to an integrated strategy toward sustainability and reduction of greenhouse gas.
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The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) announced today that out of 46 applicants nation-wide, 17 Native American tribal communities were chosen to receive $2,030,562 in Native American Library Services Enhancement grants. Ten of these grantees are first time awardees. Click here to see a full list of Enhancement grant recipients.
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Sep 07, 2010
The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) announced today that out of 46 applicants nation-wide, 17 Native American tribal communities were chosen to receive $2,030,562 in Native American Library Services Enhancement grants.
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Native American/Native Hawaiian Museum Services September 2010 Grant Announcement List of Awarded Institutions
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Aug 31, 2010
The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is accepting applications to its largest museum grant program, Museums for America (MFA), for fiscal year 2011. Museums for America grants provide up to $150,000 in funding and support projects that strengthen a museum’s capacity to serve its community.
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Aug 27, 2010
In a Federal Register notice published on Monday August 23, 2010, IMLS issued a call for comments on its Public Library Survey. The survey provides essential data about public library service in the US including service hours, book circulation, number of librarians, service area population, technology and more.
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Aug 19, 2010
On August 20, the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) brings the Making the Learning Connection campaign to Columbia, South Carolina. The half-day workshop will spotlight successful community programs as well as opportunities and challenges that local museums, libraries, and community groups encounter while meeting the community’s high priority information needs.
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Aug 19, 2010
In my son’s personal archives is a school library license, a tiny cardboard rectangle that states that the bearer “knows how to use the library carefully and courteously and is welcome to be there.” David received his ‘license to learn’ from Bernice Williams, the school librarian at Barcroft Elementary School in Arlington, Virginia, back in 1984 when he was just nine years old.
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Aug 18, 2010
The August 11 webinar, Helping Job Seekers: Using Electronic Tools and Federal Resource, is now available online at http://tiny.cc/d6fjb. In the presentation, Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration (ETA) staffers Lauren Fairley-Wright and Tracie Hamilton provide an overview of the public workforce system and share electronic tools most helpful to library staff who assist unemployed workers.
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Aug 18, 2010
On August 16, the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) hosted a webinar on its Request for Proposal (RFP) seeking a cooperator to develop a framework of the principles, elements, or characteristics of organizations and communities that foster digital inclusion. Link to the webinar PowerPoint and answers to questions raised during the presentation.
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Aug 10, 2010
The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) announces that Justin Estoque has joined its staff as chief operating officer. In this new position, Estoque will oversee the offices of finance, administration and contracting, human resources, and information technology (IT) and will serve as a member of IMLS’s executive leadership team.
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On August 16, 2010, the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) will host a webinar to answer questions about its Request for Proposal (RFP) (http://www.imls.gov/pdf/FDI-2010-RFP.pdf) for a cooperator to develop a framework of the principles, elements, or characteristics of organizations and communities that foster digital inclusion.
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Aug 02, 2010
The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is accepting grant applications for the agency’s 2011 Conservation Project Support (CPS) program. Application guidelines are available on the IMLS Web site. The application deadline is October 1, 2010.
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Jul 30, 2010
The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), the primary source of federal support for the nation’s museums and libraries, announces that 13 institutions are receiving National Leadership Collaborative Planning Grants (NLG) totaling $763,715. Grantees will contribute $491,995 in matching funds. There were 62 applications to the program with requests totaling $3,752,309.
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Jul 23, 2010
The National Broadband Plan released in March 2010 presented a vision of pervasive and affordable broadband that will provide every American an equal opportunity to engage in the educational, economic, and social life of the nation. Recommendation 9.3 of the Plan instructs the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) to “develop guidelines for public access technology based on populations served and organization size.
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Jul 22, 2010
The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) today awarded $1,485,000 to 14 organizations committed to preserving and sharing the history of African American life from the period of slavery to the present day as part of the Museum Grants for African American History and Culture (AAHC) program.
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Jul 21, 2010
A not-surprising finding of the 2008 IMLS report, Exhibiting Public Value: Government Funding for Museums in the United States (PDF, 2.4MB), was “the lack of reliable data on the size and scope of the museum sector.” The lack of these data hampers efforts to describe the field accurately; to account for and track the various funding streams that support the sector; to examine the scale and scope of museum collections, programs, and services; and to measure the breadth and depth of its impact.
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Jul 20, 2010
HISTORY™ announces the winners of a special contest for libraries connected with its landmark 12-part series AMERICA THE STORY OF US. The series, which premiered on April 25th and concluded on Memorial Day, was accompanied by the largest education outreach effort in the network’s history.
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Jul 16, 2010
The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and the Bank of America Charitable Foundation are pleased to announce the 2011 guidelines for the American Heritage Preservation Program. This public-private partnership will fund the preservation of endangered and fragile art works, rare books, scientific specimens, and historical documents (photographs, maps, deeds, etc.) held in small and medium-sized museums, archives, and libraries.
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Jul 13, 2010
The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is pleased to announce that 178 museums across the country will receive a total of $19,550,456 in Museums for America (MFA) grants. These museums, chosen from 510 applicants, represent 39 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. Grants will support high-priority activities that advance the missions and strategic goals of these museums, helping them to serve the public more effectively.
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Jul 10, 2010
Kicking off the program’s fifth year, the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) joins the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) in announcing that 75 not-for-profits – including arts and cultural organizations, libraries, and universities – will receive grants totaling $1 million to host a Big Read project between September 2010 and June 2011.
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Jun 30, 2010
Public library visits and circulations per capita increased almost 20 percent between FY1999 and FY2008, while the number of public librarians per 25,000 people has remained virtually the same during that same period, according to the FY2008 Public Libraries Survey (PLS) report issued by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).
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Jun 30, 2010
Washington, DC—On June 29, 2010, the Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration (ETA) officially encouraged its state and local workforce investment boards, state workforce agencies, and One-Stop Career Centers to partner with public libraries to extend their career and employment services to job seekers and unemployed workers.
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Jun 23, 2010
Washington, DC—On June 22, 2010, the Senate confirmed five individuals to serve on the National Museum and Library Services Board, which advises the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) on general policy and practices and on selections for the National Medal for Museum and Library Service. The board is comprised of the IMLS director and deputy directors and 20 members of the general public with demonstrated expertise and commitment to libraries or museums.
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Jun 22, 2010
Marsha L. Semmel, acting director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), Mary Chute, deputy director for libraries, and other Institute staff will participate in various events during the American Library Association (ALA) annual conference in Washington, D.C. June 24-29, 2010. For a list of sessions pertaining to IMLS and IMLS-funded grants, please visit booth # 3958 on June 25-28.
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Jun 17, 2010
The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) has awarded $1,495,000 to 218 Indian tribes and Alaska Native villages and corporations as part of the Native American Library Services Basic Grant program. With this funding, the libraries will be able to strengthen their core services for the benefit of the tribal communities and villages they serve. Click here for a list of grant recipients.
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Jun 17, 2010
This year, we celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which ensures the civil rights of people with disabilities. The need to recommit to the ADA is growing. Nearly 20 percent of people aged five and older have some type of long-lasting condition or disability, according to the 2000 U.S. Census.
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Jun 15, 2010
The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) today awarded 38 Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program grants totaling $22,623,984. These grants provide scholarships for students in master’s and doctoral programs in library and information science, support the research of early career faculty in graduate schools of library and information science, and provide continuing education opportunities to enhance the skills of practitioners in libraries and archives.
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Washington, DC—The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) announces release of a podcast interview with Susan Blakney, a senior painting conservator and founder of Westlake Conservators. She traveled to Haiti May 4-8 to assess the conservation needs of artwork damaged by the January earthquake. To listen to the podcast, click here.
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Jun 08, 2010
The public is invited to attend the 20th meeting of the National Museum and Library Services Board on June 18 from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. A representative of the Federal Communications Commission will discuss the digital adoption and inclusion recommendations of the National Broadband Plan.
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Jun 07, 2010
Washington, DC—Each year, select museums and libraries with outstanding records of community service receive the Institute of Museum and Library Services’ (IMLS) National Medal for Museum and Library Service, the nation’s highest honor for museums and libraries. This year, for the first time, personal stories demonstrating the ongoing impact of these award-winning institutions will be documented through a cooperative agreement between IMLS and StoryCorps.
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May 18, 2010
Marsha L. Semmel, acting director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), and other agency representatives will participate in the American Association of Museums (AAM) annual meeting in Los Angeles, California, May 23-26.
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May 18, 2010
In April, I had the opportunity to share the Institute’s work on 21st century skills with more than 160 library professionals gathered in Rome, Italy, for a series of educational events organized by the U.S. Embassy in Rome and the American University of Rome.
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May 10, 2010
Anyone who missed the 2010 WebWise Conference on Libraries and Museums in the Digital World, held March 3-5 in Denver, Colorado, can now go online to watch sessions on leading edge digital technologies that libraries and museums use to share their collections and engage the public.
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May 06, 2010
The Institute of Museum and Library Services IMLS is funding an innovative yearlong project linking libraries nationwide to share strategies for helping unemployed patrons find work. Project Compass, launched by OCLC WebJunction and the State Library of North Carolina, features four regional summits where state library officers are sharing best practices on meeting the workforce needs of their communities.
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May 06, 2010
Marsha L. Semmel, acting director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), announced 33 museum recipients of the 2010 Conservation Project Support (CPS) grants, totaling $3,184,977. Since 1984, these grants have helped 1,338 museums to identify conservation needs and priorities and take action to ensure the safekeeping of their collections. CPS grant recipients will match their awards with an additional $4,261,753.
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The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) invites you to help invent the future of museums and libraries through your participation in UpNext: The Future of Museums and Libraries Wiki. IMLS’s first-ever wiki is a platform where individuals inside and outside of museums, libraries, and related fields can discuss, dissect, expand, and inform the issues outlined in the Future of Museums and Libraries: A Discussion Guide.
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Apr 16, 2010
There’s a lot for libraries and IMLS to love in the Connecting America: The National Broadband Plan, released March 16th by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Threaded through the hefty document is the FCC’s recognition of libraries as community anchor institutions that can help provide high-capacity broadband connections and build digital literacy skills of people in communities across the nation.
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Apr 14, 2010
The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) invites you to help invent the future of museums and libraries through your participation in UpNext: The Future of Museums and Libraries Wiki. IMLS’s first-ever wiki is a platform where individuals inside and outside of museums, libraries, and related fields can discuss, dissect, expand, and inform the issues outlined in the Future of Museums and Libraries: A Discussion Guide.
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Apr 09, 2010
Recent flooding in Rhode Island reminds us that everyone needs an emergency plan, including cultural institutions. A Rhode Island consortium will use its Connecting to Collections: Statewide Implementation Grant, announced today by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), to develop tools and training for a statewide disaster plan.
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Connecting to Collections Statewide Planning and Implemenation Grant Announcement - April 2010
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Mar 25, 2010
The report, Opportunity for All: How the American Public Benefits from Internet Access at U.S. Libraries, is based on the first, large-scale study of who uses public computers and Internet access in public libraries, the ways library patrons use this free technology service, why they use it, and how it affects their lives.
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Mar 18, 2010
Despite the lack of real growth in their budgets in recent years, state library agencies are working strategically to assist library professionals and local libraries to meet patrons’ needs, according to State Library Agency Service Trends: 1999–2008, a new research brief by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).
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List of March 2010 American Heritage Preservation Grants
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Mar 11, 2010
A school attendance record taken by Robert Frost when he served as a substitute teacher, a gown worn to the second inaugural ball of Abraham Lincoln, and a painted trunk made in 1702 in Uppsala, Sweden, will be preserved for future generations with grants from the American Heritage Preservation Program awarded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and the Bank of America Charitable Foundation.
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Mar 02, 2010
The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and the Salzburg Global Seminar announce release of the report, “Connecting to the World’s Collections: Making the Case for Conservation and Preservation of Our Cultural Heritage” based on a seminar held in Salzburg, Austria, October 28-November 1, 2009. The seminar, part of the IMLS’s multi-year initiative on collections care,
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Feb 24, 2010
The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) invites you to help invent the future of museums and libraries through your participation in UpNext: The Future of Museums and Libraries Wiki. IMLS’s first-ever wiki is a platform where individuals inside and outside of museums, libraries, and related fields can discuss, dissect, expand, and inform the issues outlined in the Future of Museums and Libraries: A Discussion Guide.
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Feb 23, 2010
Museums, libraries, and educators in Colorado are working on high tech projects that excite students and engage life-long learners. Whether it’s a Denver Art Museum Web site that cultivates children’s creativity in the visual and language arts or web tools that deliver primary sources on the World War II-era experiences of Japanese Americans in Colorado, digital technology stimulates students and opens doors to learning.
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Project Descriptions: 21st Century Museum Professionals Grants Convening - February 4-5, 2010
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Feb 17, 2010
On February 4 and 5, 2010, the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) convened the first-ever forum of grantees in the 21st Century Museum Professionals Grants program. Meeting at the Beacon Hotel just a few blocks from the IMLS offices, museum professionals gathered to share and discuss successes and challenges in the implementation of grant-funded projects.
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Fact Sheet: The National Medal for Museum and Library Service is the nation’s highest honor bestowed on institutions that make significant and exceptional contributions to their communities. The National Medal awards are made every year by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), an independent government agency that is the primary source of federal support for the nation’s 123,000 libraries and 17,500 museums.
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Feb 17, 2010
The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) annually awards the National Medal for Museum and Library Service, the nation’s highest honor for museums and libraries that make extraordinary civic, educational, economic, environmental, and social contributions.
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21st Century Museum Professionals Grants Convening - February 4-5, 2010 - Project Descriptions
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Feb 03, 2010
The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) has announced the projects that will be demonstrated at the 2010 WebWise Conference on Libraries and Museums in the Digital World. Registration is now closed for the free conference, to be held March 3–5 in Denver, CO.
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Feb 01, 2010
President Obama has requested $265,869,000 for fiscal year 2011 for the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). The request, which was transmitted to Congress today, is the same as the FY 2010 enacted levels for the Institute’s programs and administration. The proposed budget will support museums and libraries as they re-energize the economy, fuel partnerships and knowledge sharing, and provide much-needed services to their communities.
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Jan 29, 2010
The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is accepting applications for the 2010 Native American Library Services Enhancement Grants program. Federally-recognized tribes and Alaska Native villages and corporations may apply for these grants to improve existing library services or implement new services, particularly as they relate to the goals of the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA).
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Jan 21, 2010
On January 19, NASA began offering a second round of free space artifacts to museums attended by the public and free libraries serving all residents of a community, district, state, or region. The Institute of Museum and Library Services is helping NASA reach out to eligible institutions that might be interested in acquiring one of the 2,500 free objects from the space shuttle, Hubble Space Telescope, or the Apollo, Mercury or Gemini programs.
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Jan 15, 2010
Dr. Anne-Imelda Radice, Director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), announced today that 33 institutions with living collections will receive the IMLS Connecting to Collections Bookshelf. Institutions with living collections of plants and animals include aquaria, arboreta, botanical gardens, nature centers, historical houses with gardens, living history farms, and zoos.
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Living Collections Bookshelf Recipients List - January 2010
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Jan 12, 2010
Supporters of outstanding museums and libraries are encouraged to nominate these institutions for the National Medal for Museum and Library Service, the nation’s highest honor for exemplary museum and library community service. The National Medal honors museums and libraries that make extraordinary civic, educational, economic, environmental, and social contributions.
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Jan 11, 2010
The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is accepting grant applications to the Native American/Native Hawaiian (NANH) Museum Services program. NANH grants support projects that promote learning and innovation in museums and museum-related organizations of federally-recognized Indian tribes, Alaskan Native Villages and corporations, and organizations that primarily serve and represent Native Hawaiians
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Dec 22, 2009
The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is calling for proposals from museums, museum service organizations, and universities for projects that will enhance the professional development of museum staff. The 21st Century Museum Professionals grants are intended to have an impact on multiple institutions by reaching broad groups of museum professionals.
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Dec 22, 2009
The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) announces the release of a new research brief, Service Trends in U.S. Public Libraries, 1997-2007. The brief identifies important changes public libraries have made to address patron needs in an increasingly Internet-centric environment and explores service differences in urban and rural communities.
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Dec 17, 2009
The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is accepting applications for the 2010 Native American Library Services Basic Grants program. Federally recognized tribes and Alaska Native villages and corporations may apply for these grants in either the Basic or the Basic with Education/Assessment Option categories.
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Dec 10, 2009
Every year, more than 9,000 libraries are surveyed in the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the Virgin Islands, answering questions on population, library collections, services and programs, staff numbers, revenues and expenditures and other electronic information.
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Dec 09, 2009
The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), the University of Denver, and the Denver Art Museum announce open registration for the 2010 WebWise Conference on Libraries and Museums in the Digital World. Each year, approximately 350 representatives of museums, libraries, archives, information and systems science, and other fields interested in the future of high-quality online content for inquiry and education attend the free conference.
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Dec 09, 2009
A memorial to the victims of the September 11 attack on the World Trade Center, the mementos of Civil War officers, and a blockhouse from an 18th-century Russian trading fort in Alaska are among the thousands of historically significant objects that will be conserved with the 2009 Save America’s Treasures (SAT) grants.
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Dec 09, 2009
Museums, libraries, and educators in Colorado are working on high tech projects that excite students and engage life-long learners. Whether it’s a Denver Art Museum Web site that cultivates children’s creativity in the visual and language arts or web tools that deliver primary sources on the World War II-era experiences of Japanese Americans in Colorado, digital technology stimulates students and opens doors to learning.
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Dec 08, 2009
The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) invites nominations for the 2010 Coming Up Taller awards, which honor excellence in afterschool, out-of-school, and summer arts and humanities programs for underserved children and youth. Coming Up Taller is an initiative of the President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities (PCAH) in partnership with IMLS, the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH).
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Nov 20, 2009
Scientists, researchers, and scholars across the world generate vast amounts of digital data, but the scientific record and the documentary heritage created in digital form are at risk -- from technology obsolescence, from the fragility of digital media, and from the lack of baseline practices for managing and preserving digital data.
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Nov 20, 2009
On October 31, 2009, 59 cultural heritage leaders from 32 countries, including representatives of Africa, the Middle East, South America, and Asia, unanimously passed the Salzburg Declaration on the Conservation and Preservation of Cultural Heritage (PDF, 15KB).
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Nov 20, 2009
The Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) will advance technology that can recover and digitally re-master rare early sound recordings made on wax cylinders – including experimental recordings created in the 1880’s by Alexander Graham Bell -- even when the original cylinder is cracked or broken.
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Nov 13, 2009
The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and in cooperation with Arts Midwest, announces the 2010 deadline for The Big Read, a program to revitalize the role of literature in American culture.
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Nov 06, 2009
Anne-Imelda Radice, Director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), joined First Lady Michelle Obama in honoring young people from 19 communities in the U.S., China, Egypt, and Mexico who engage in after-school arts and humanities programs. Winners of the 2009 Coming Up Taller Awards, which promote educational achievement and creativity, were honored at a White House ceremony on November 4.
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Nov 06, 2009
Museums and libraries are invited to apply for free NASA space shuttle artifacts, including small items such as astronaut helmets, gloves, and boots, and large items such as shuttle Motion Based Simulators and Crew Compartment Trainers.
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UpNext Blog Posts
Mar 07, 2013
Park View Library Media Center Specialists Jennifer Fisher and Candace Main Rush and community member Pablo Rivera traveled to Washington from Sterling, VA to receive the National Medal for Museum and Library Service and spoke to IMLS about how the library impacts the community.
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Aug 01, 2012
Funded through the IMLS Grants to State Library Administrative Agencies program, the Sacramento Public Library’s partnership with The GreenHouse is teaching teens valuable skills while capturing local history.
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May 22, 2012
The director of the Madison Children's Museum, Ruth Shelly, sits down with Benjamin Perreth, a Visitor Services Associate at the museum, to discuss the impact the museum has had on his life, as well as how the museum has learned from him.
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May 18, 2012
Families use engaging multimedia to learn about personal health and the sustainability of our food system.
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May 16, 2012
IMLS Director Susan Hildreth describes how lack of access to summer learning opportunities can put young people at risk. Education policy makers are looking for strategies to combat “summer slide” and libraries and museums are part of the solution.
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May 15, 2012
Columbus Metropolitan Library CFO Dewitt Harrell sits down with Khamall Howard to discuss how his participation in a summer youth program lead to his current job at the Main Library in downtown Columbus.
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May 10, 2012
HHS urges offices of Child Care and Head Start to partner with libraries to support child development.
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May 08, 2012
Hear how the museum’s innovative approach to improving health outcomes for South Carolina’s children is making a big impact on young visitors.
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May 04, 2012
IMLS Program Officer Connie Bodner reflects on the annual rites of spring, especially the announcement of the participants in the Conservation Assessment Program.
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Apr 30, 2012
As National Autism Awareness Month draws to a close, IMLS Senior Program Officer Michele Farrell takes note of agency-funded programs for families affected by the disorder.
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Apr 27, 2012
Susan Hildreth reports on her experience arguing in opposition to the motion that “Libraries are Obsolete” in Oxford style debate at Harvard University.
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Apr 24, 2012
Participants in WebWise 2012 discuss the projects they demoed there.
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Apr 17, 2012
U.S. libraries and museums are powerhouses that can inspire countless opportunities for learning new skills.
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Apr 11, 2012
In celebration of National Library Workers Day and National Library Week, Martha Parker writes about her library education in an IMLS-funded program and her first job since earning her degree.
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Apr 10, 2012
Susan Hildreth recounts her day at the Easter Egg Roll and announces a new tool for Let’s Move! Museums & Gardens.
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Apr 03, 2012
On the IMLS YouTube Channel, the Pratt Museum in Homer Alaska describes its Museums for America project, The Kachemak Bay: An Exploration of People and Place.
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Mar 30, 2012
The StoryCorps blog offers a behind-the-scenes look at two National Medal for Museum and Library Service winners: the San Jose Public Library and Weippe Public Library and Discovery Center.
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Mar 27, 2012
After hearing a speech by the founder of AmericaSpeaks at the LSTA Grants to States conference, IMLS Senior Program Officer James Lonergan reflects on the role of libraries in preserving and reinvigorating democracy.
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Mar 26, 2012
Chris Beakey of Ogilvy Public Relations explores the value of museums and libraries in promoting healthy behaviors.
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Mar 22, 2012
Full participation in American society requires the ability to access and use digital content and technologies. IMLS is helping libraries and museums to work with businesses, hospitals, schools, cultural institutions, community technology centers and local governments to create and sustain access to broadband technologies.
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Mar 21, 2012
Early Alexander Graham Bell recordings, once thought to be lost to history, gained national media attention last year when scientists at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory devised a way to hear them. For curious minds who want to know more, here’s the a behind the scenes look at how it all happened.
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Mar 14, 2012
The Johnson County (Kansas) Museum used a Museums for America grant and partnered with the Johnson County Public Library to preserve photographs and enlist the help of the public to identify people and places.
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Mar 09, 2012
IMLS Director of Strategic Partnerships Marsha Semmel reflects on the third annual Digital Media and Learning conference.
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Mar 07, 2012
Marcia Smith-Woodard of the Indiana State Library was awarded the Indiana Library Federation’s 2011 Special Services Award for her work on an IMLS-funded project to recruit and educate 30 diverse library students.
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Mar 02, 2012
Before wowing the audience at WebWise 2012, Fugazi's Ian MacKaye sat down with a few IMLS staff members. Read IMLS Senior Graphic Designer and Webmaster (and Fugazi fan) Ellen Arnold Losey's reflections on meeting one of her indie rock heroes, and watch an excerpt from a video interview.
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Mar 01, 2012
StoryCorps founder Dave Isay talks about the partnership between his organization and museums and libraries, and about the importance of those institutions to their communities.
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Feb 27, 2012
An IMLS program officer, and would-be Star Fleet officer, looks forward to hearing LeVar Burton speak at WebWise.
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Feb 23, 2012
Susan Hildreth reflects on the groundbreaking for the National Museum of African American History and Culture and the invaluable work of African American museums around the country.
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Feb 21, 2012
This informative and entertaining video was created to promote a three-state collaborative effort to provide training on archival work.
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Feb 16, 2012
President Obama’s budget request for IMLS recognizes the importance of museums and libraries and will allow the agency to implement its new strategic plan.
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Feb 10, 2012
At ALA Midwinter in Dallas, IMLS Director Susan Hildreth got the opportunity to meet with University of Alabama and Wayne State University scholarship recipients from the Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program-funded Project ALFA, “Accessible Libraries for All.”
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Feb 03, 2012
A video explores an IMLS-funded program of the National Aquarium in Baltimore that teaches the public what they can do to protect the Chesapeake Bay.
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Jan 26, 2012
Paper is still important in the digital age, and this IMLS-funded research project is helping to increase our understanding of how to preserve it.
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Jan 18, 2012
The two agencies are developing a program to build expertise in the field of digital collections care.
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Jan 13, 2012
The need to invest in young children is clear, as are the benefits of that investment. Here at IMLS we are challenging libraries and museums to take a leading role in their communities’ early learning strategies.
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Jan 12, 2012
Actor, director, and champion of libraries and museums LeVar Burton will make a keynote address at the 2012 WebWise Conference.
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Jan 06, 2012
IMLS was part of an exciting announcement earlier this week, when the winners of the second Digging into Data Challenge were announced. There were 14 winning teams in this competition to promote innovative humanities and social science research using large-scale data analysis.
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Dec 22, 2011
Chicago Botanic Garden’s North Lawndale Green Youth Farm, funded by a Museums for America (MFA) grant, teaches valuable job skills to students in one of the area’s poorest neighborhoods. A video prepared as part of the evaluation of the MFA program is featured on IMLS’s new YouTube channel.
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Dec 15, 2011
IMLS is again partnering with the Sundance Institute, the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the National Endowment for the Arts in the second year of Film Forward, a cultural exchange initiative. Museums and libraries were a big part of the initiative's inaugural-year success.
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Dec 08, 2011
Syracuse University professor Renee Franklin reports on what happens when educators from all over New York State come together to learn strategies for providing information services to K-12 students with disabilities.
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Nov 23, 2011
Caldwell (NJ) Public Library’s Big Read project, which celebrated Cynthia Ozick’s novella 'The Shawl,' transformed the library and the way it serves its community.
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Nov 21, 2011
The time is right to launch an ambitious project to realize the great promise of the Internet for the advancement of sharing information and using technology to enable new knowledge and discoveries in the United States and globally.
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Nov 16, 2011
Gary Vikan, director of the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore, served on the IMLS 21st Century Skills Taskforce. Out of what he calls “this crucible of critical thinking” a vision for the Walters Art Museum emerged.
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Nov 10, 2011
In a recent analysis of utilization of children’s services at public libraries in the top 100 metropolitan areas, IMLS found that attendance at programs and circulation of children’s materials were lowest in areas with the highest levels of child poverty and children of immigrant parents.
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Nov 08, 2011
Using the IMLS 21st Century Skills Self-Assessment Tool, the Children’s Museum of Houston is expanding minds, not just walls. “If we are truly going to deliver 21st Century learning benefit to our city, we have to have the talent pool and resources to do it.”
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Nov 03, 2011
On November 1, First Lady Michelle Obama visited the Royal Castle Child Development Center in New Orleans, LA. The center offers an arts-based health curriculum called Eat Sleep Play that is conducted by the Louisiana Children’s Museum and is part of the Let’s Move! Museums & Gardens initiative.
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Nov 01, 2011
With the support from an IMLS Museums for America grant, the San Diego History Center is digitizing 6,680 photographs and 438 drawings from the E.H. Davis Collection that document the lives of Native Americans. The project provides an opportunity to collaborate with tribal members and enhance public access to the collection.
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Oct 28, 2011
The IMLS Western Regional Fellowship: Transforming Life After 50 (TLA50) provides continuing education scholarships for library professionals to advance their library and information science skills related to improving services to and engagement with active, older adults.
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Oct 26, 2011
The Association of Tribal Archives, Libraries, and Museums in partnership with the Western Museums Association, the Hawaii Museums Association, and the Pacific Islands Museums Association presented a joint conference providing the opportunity for tribal and non-tribal archive, library, and museum professionals to meet and exchange ideas and best practices.
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Oct 21, 2011
Maine Memory Network was launched in 2001 as an online digital archive whose primary goal was to expand access to historical collections across the state. It has since evolved into a robust online museum and become a flexible platform for a wide range of historical interests and activity.
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Oct 20, 2011
Former NFL Linebacker and children’s book author Chris Draft visited IMLS at the National Book Festival Pavilion of the States. Through his foundation he supports Let’s Read/Let’s Move and a variety of family literacy and healthy lifestyle initiatives.
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Oct 19, 2011
IMLS is hosting a seminar, Libraries and Museums in an Era of Participatory Culture, in partnership with the Salzburg Global Seminar in Austria. The seminar is convening international leaders in libraries and museums to explore and debate the changing roles and responsibilities of libraries and museums in society.
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Oct 17, 2011
On October 12, I participated in the unveiling of Connect to Compete, a public-private partnership to turn around the problem of digital exclusion in the US. According to the Pew Research Center, one-third of all Americans – 100 million people – have not adopted broadband high-speed Internet at home. The national announcement is the first major action by Chairman Genachowski’s Broadband Adoption Task force, created in May to help close the adoption gap.
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Oct 14, 2011
“Is Your Museum Ready for the Learning Revolution?” Museums need to be intentional about ways in which they promote critical thinking and problem solving, and they need to prioritize the effective adoption of digital technologies that facilitate broad access, knowledge sharing, and discovery.
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Oct 13, 2011
Posters sessions facilitate quick and informative peer-to-peer networking and knowledge sharing about IMLS funded projects.
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Oct 11, 2011
IMLS sponsored a Connecting to Collections Continuing Conversation Exchange at the American Association for State and Local History annual meeting held September 14-17 in Richmond, VA.
Representatives from 47 states and 2 territories gathered to discuss statewide collections care plans and preservation resources.
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Oct 06, 2011
As part of our strategic focus, IMLS is a collaborative partner in a variety of initiatives to improve public access technology, resources and training. DigitalLiteracy.gov is a valuable resource to practitioners who are delivering digital literacy training and services in their communities.
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Oct 04, 2011
The 2011 National Book Festival delighted and inspired readers and book lovers of all ages. IMLS sponsored the Pavilion of the States which provides opportunities for library and book lovers to meet representatives from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and a number of the U.S. territories.
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Sep 26, 2011
Get involved in your community’s early learning efforts! Compete for the 2012 All-America City Award!
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Sep 23, 2011
The World Maker Faire brings amateur and professional tinkerers, geeks, and artists together for a weekend of “serious fun.”
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Sep 21, 2011
AAM’s Museum Assessment Program (MAP) has been helping museums achieve excellence for 30 years. More than 4,300 museums of all types have participated in over 6,000 assessments since 1981.
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Sep 15, 2011
Editor’s note: IMLS is working with the University of Washington Information School and the International City/County Management Association to incorporate feedback into the next version of the “Framework.” A survey to get broad public input is also planned and will be available on www.imls.gov in the coming months.
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Sep 13, 2011
The goal of Voices for the Lake is to create a community forum through a website, an exhibit and a set of social network tools to engage people in an evolving dialogue about water.
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Sep 09, 2011
Library science scholarship recipients visit the IMLS exhibit booth at the American Library Association’s annual conference held in New Orleans. In addition to tuition and fees, grant funds also support professional development opportunities.
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Sep 01, 2011
Building 21st Century Skills through Environmental Literacy
The Lincoln Park Zoo was recently awarded an IMLS Museums for America grant to develop six new mobile learning stations to create a dynamic visitor experience, promote the zoo's mission, and encourage visitors to share what they have learned.
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Aug 25, 2011
I hope you will enjoy learning more about our projects and initiatives and that you will also take the opportunity to share what you know, engage with your peers, community members, IMLS staff, and other thought leaders from libraries, museums and beyond.
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View the latest edition of the Institute's monthly eNewsletter.
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| May 2013: First Lady Michelle Obama Presents 2013 National Medal for Museum and Library Service |
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IMLS selected five libraries and five museums to receive the 2013 National Medal for Museum and Library Service. The National Medal is the nation’s highest honor for museums and libraries for extraordinary civic, educational, economic, environmental, and social contributions. Recipients must demonstrate innovative approaches to public service and community outreach.
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