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Overview:

The primary source of federal support for the nation’s 123,000 libraries and 17,500 museums, the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is an independent agency that works at the national level, and in coordination with state and local organizations, to identify where there are funding needs, then reports that data to congressional appropriations committees, facilitates the applicants’ grant pursuit process, and dispenses grants. In addition, the IMLS, also in tandem with learning and arts centers around the country, strives to keep the public connected with an ever-expanding variety of educational tools and experiences, and to help preserve and protect collections of books, artwork, and other cultural artifacts.

 
more
History:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) was created with the enactment in September 1996 of the Museum and Library Services Act (MLSA), which consolidated federal support for libraries and museums. Previously, library support was administered by the U.S. Department of Education, and museum support by the Institute of Museum Services. In 2003, the MLSA was reauthorized, and most IMLS activities as a result are now approved through 2009 by Chapter 72 of Title 20 (20 USC CHAPTER 72) of the U.S. Code, which is the statute that resulted from the combination of the 1996 law and the 2003 reauthorization. Other pieces of legislation that also affect IMLS programs and policies include the National Museum of African American History and Culture Act and the E-Government Act. On December 22, 2010, President Barack Obama signed into law the Museum and Library Services Act of 2010, which reauthorizes and updates the IMLS’s existing programs.

 

more
What it Does:
  • Provides the predominant source of federal support for the nation’s libraries and museums.
  • Performs an annual analysis to identify the most urgent upcoming needs for museum and library services, then informs the congressional appropriations committees, helps interested parties through the grant application process, and awards grants.
  • Advises the President and Congress on relevant library and museum issues.
  • Connects the public to free and low-cost informal learning opportunities and experiences at libraries and museums as well as historic houses, nature centers, and botanical gardens.
  • Stays abreast of the most current applicable technology, and latest learning research findings, and utilizes the information whenever it’s feasible and beneficial.
  • Works to engage America’s youth, ages 9 to 19, in programs that will spark their imagination and help them become, and stay, competitive with others their age around the world.
  • Recruits and educates the next generation of librarians. Aims to revitalize the role of literature in American pop culture.
  • Focuses on how to address using libraries and museums to improve science literacy.
  • Creates partnerships with community organizations, businesses, and educators to help libraries and museums reach more families, schools, and neighborhoods.
  • Provides outreach services to individuals in underserved urban and rural communities, lower socioeconomic backgrounds, and with disabilities, or limited skills to access material or experiences without assistance.
  • Works to assure that books, artwork, and historical artifacts are preserved and protected from decay as well as natural disasters.
  • Sponsors the annual Webwise conference, focusing on digital technology innovations and their impact on library and museum services.

 

From the Web Site of IMLS

Connecting to Collections

Contact Information

Grant and Award Opportunities

Grant Applicant Information

Grant Recipients

State Programs

National Initiatives

Online Resources

Primary Source online publication

Publications

Search for Public Libraries

State Five Year Plans

Webwise

more
Where Does the Money Go:

Between 2007 and 2011, the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) spent $4,894,728 in 224 contractor transactions for services ranging from computer-aided design and manufacturing to ADP facility operation, educational studies, administrative support, and rail passenger operations.

 

The top five contractors whose services have been used in the past five years by IMLS are:

1. Technical Specialities                                                          $712,740

2. E Luminate Group Inc                                                        $470,343

3. Foster Soft Inc.                                                                   $387,891

4. Powertek Corporation                                                        $255,624

5. Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority                        $230,580

 

The IMLS FY 2013 Appropriations Request to the U.S. Congress (pdf) provides the following outline of proposed spending for 2013:

 

Library Services                                                                      $184,704,088

Museum Services                                                                      $29,448,921

Program Administration                                                           $14,504,847

Research, Evaluation and Data Collection                                  $1,885,904

African American Museum Services                                          $1,410,017

more
Suggested Reforms:

IMLS Should Advance Digitizing Libraries, Expanding Internet Access

When it comes to expanding the public’s access to the Internet and digitizing information, the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) has key roles to play.

 

In a 2011 report commissioned by IMLS, the subject of creating a National Broadband Plan arose, and what the institute can do to further this goal. The report noted the important role of public libraries in helping Americans get online, and in this regard, the IMLS should take the lead “for making policy changes in the years ahead that will provide additional funding and support for libraries.”

 

Another recommendation for IMLS involved the digitizing of information housed at libraries.

 

“IMLS should develop guidelines for public access technology based on populations served and organization size,” the report stated, adding “these guidelines would help libraries and [community-based organizations] assess their needs for public access workstations, portable devices and bandwidth. IMLS should work with these organizations to develop guidelines and review them annually to reflect changing technology and practices.”

 

Opportunity for All (Institute of Museum and Library Services)

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Founded: 1996
Annual Budget: $291.9 million (FY 2013 Request)
Employees: 65
Official Website: http://www.imls.gov
Institute of Museum and Library Services
Matthew, Kathryn “Kit”
Director

On March 10, 2015, President Barack Obama nominated Kathryn “Kit” Matthew to be director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the primary source of federal support for the nation’s libraries and museums. If confirmed, this would be Matthew’s first federal post.

 

Matthew was born in Charleston, South Carolina, but lived all over with her Navy family. She graduated from Mount Holyoke College and went on to earn an MBA from the University of Minnesota and a Ph.D. in biology from the University of Pennsylvania, where she studied penguins. Penn is also where she met her husband, George Stevens, another biologist who gravitated into another field, in his case fundraising and philanthropy.  He is currently CEO of the Coastal Community Foundation in South Carolina.

 

Matthew’s first professional jobs included posts at the Cranbrook Institute of Science and the Academy of Natural Sciences. In 1986, she was named assistant director at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History. Two years later, Matthew was deputy director of the Virginia Museum of Natural History and in 1991 was named executive director of the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science.

 

She joined the corporate world in 1994 as a project management consultant at Unilever. While still working for the consumer products giant, in 1996 she was made a director of Science City at Union Station in Kansas City, Missouri. Matthew left both posts in 1998 and became director of strategic initiatives and new product development for athletic shoe maker Reebok.

 

Matthew returned to non-profits in 2001 as director of marketing and philanthropy for the Massachusetts chapter of The Nature Conservancy. The following year she became corporate giving consultant for the Wildlife Conservation Society.

 

In 2003, Matthew was named vice president for an expansion project and exhibit design for the Please Touch Museum in Philadelphia. The following year, while still at the Please Touch Museum, she became an exhibits consultant for the Chemical Heritage Foundation.

 

Matthew returned to Charleston in 2005 as director of the Historic Charleston Foundation, serving there until 2008. At that time, she rejoined the corporate world as a product manager for Blackbaud, which develops and markets fund raising and membership software for non-profit organizations. In 2014, Matthew was named chief science educator for Children’s Museum of Indianapolis.

-Steve Straehley

 

To Learn More:

Museum Veteran Dr. Kathryn (Kit) Matthew Nominated to Head Institute of Library and Museum Services (by Joe Kleiman, InPark)

Official Announcement

more
Hildreth, Susan
Previous Director

A career librarian and administrator, Susan H. Hildreth was nominated to be director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) by President Barack Obama in September 2010. Confirmed by the Senate on December 22, she assumed the position on January 19, 2011. The Institute oversees federal financial support for libraries and museums around the country.

 
Hildreth has three college degrees: a Bachelor of Arts from Syracuse in 1972 and a master’s degree in library science from State University of New York at Albany in 1973. She also earned and an MBA from Rutgers University,
 
She began her career as a branch librarian at the Edison Township Library in New Jersey. This was followed by four years as library director for the Benicia Public Library in Benicia, California, several years as head librarian for Placer County, California, and five years as deputy library director at the Sacramento Public Library.
 
Hildreth later served as deputy director and then city librarian at the San Francisco Public Library. In July 2004, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger appointed her as California’s state librarian. She served from August 2, 2004, until February 13, 2009. She was then chosen to head the library system of Seattle, a position she held until took over as director of the IMLS.
 
Hildreth has been active in the American Library Association and served as president of the Public Library Association in 2006.
-Noel Brinkerhoff, David Wallechinsky
 
 
more
Bookmark and Share
Overview:

The primary source of federal support for the nation’s 123,000 libraries and 17,500 museums, the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is an independent agency that works at the national level, and in coordination with state and local organizations, to identify where there are funding needs, then reports that data to congressional appropriations committees, facilitates the applicants’ grant pursuit process, and dispenses grants. In addition, the IMLS, also in tandem with learning and arts centers around the country, strives to keep the public connected with an ever-expanding variety of educational tools and experiences, and to help preserve and protect collections of books, artwork, and other cultural artifacts.

 
more
History:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) was created with the enactment in September 1996 of the Museum and Library Services Act (MLSA), which consolidated federal support for libraries and museums. Previously, library support was administered by the U.S. Department of Education, and museum support by the Institute of Museum Services. In 2003, the MLSA was reauthorized, and most IMLS activities as a result are now approved through 2009 by Chapter 72 of Title 20 (20 USC CHAPTER 72) of the U.S. Code, which is the statute that resulted from the combination of the 1996 law and the 2003 reauthorization. Other pieces of legislation that also affect IMLS programs and policies include the National Museum of African American History and Culture Act and the E-Government Act. On December 22, 2010, President Barack Obama signed into law the Museum and Library Services Act of 2010, which reauthorizes and updates the IMLS’s existing programs.

 

more
What it Does:
  • Provides the predominant source of federal support for the nation’s libraries and museums.
  • Performs an annual analysis to identify the most urgent upcoming needs for museum and library services, then informs the congressional appropriations committees, helps interested parties through the grant application process, and awards grants.
  • Advises the President and Congress on relevant library and museum issues.
  • Connects the public to free and low-cost informal learning opportunities and experiences at libraries and museums as well as historic houses, nature centers, and botanical gardens.
  • Stays abreast of the most current applicable technology, and latest learning research findings, and utilizes the information whenever it’s feasible and beneficial.
  • Works to engage America’s youth, ages 9 to 19, in programs that will spark their imagination and help them become, and stay, competitive with others their age around the world.
  • Recruits and educates the next generation of librarians. Aims to revitalize the role of literature in American pop culture.
  • Focuses on how to address using libraries and museums to improve science literacy.
  • Creates partnerships with community organizations, businesses, and educators to help libraries and museums reach more families, schools, and neighborhoods.
  • Provides outreach services to individuals in underserved urban and rural communities, lower socioeconomic backgrounds, and with disabilities, or limited skills to access material or experiences without assistance.
  • Works to assure that books, artwork, and historical artifacts are preserved and protected from decay as well as natural disasters.
  • Sponsors the annual Webwise conference, focusing on digital technology innovations and their impact on library and museum services.

 

From the Web Site of IMLS

Connecting to Collections

Contact Information

Grant and Award Opportunities

Grant Applicant Information

Grant Recipients

State Programs

National Initiatives

Online Resources

Primary Source online publication

Publications

Search for Public Libraries

State Five Year Plans

Webwise

more
Where Does the Money Go:

Between 2007 and 2011, the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) spent $4,894,728 in 224 contractor transactions for services ranging from computer-aided design and manufacturing to ADP facility operation, educational studies, administrative support, and rail passenger operations.

 

The top five contractors whose services have been used in the past five years by IMLS are:

1. Technical Specialities                                                          $712,740

2. E Luminate Group Inc                                                        $470,343

3. Foster Soft Inc.                                                                   $387,891

4. Powertek Corporation                                                        $255,624

5. Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority                        $230,580

 

The IMLS FY 2013 Appropriations Request to the U.S. Congress (pdf) provides the following outline of proposed spending for 2013:

 

Library Services                                                                      $184,704,088

Museum Services                                                                      $29,448,921

Program Administration                                                           $14,504,847

Research, Evaluation and Data Collection                                  $1,885,904

African American Museum Services                                          $1,410,017

more
Suggested Reforms:

IMLS Should Advance Digitizing Libraries, Expanding Internet Access

When it comes to expanding the public’s access to the Internet and digitizing information, the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) has key roles to play.

 

In a 2011 report commissioned by IMLS, the subject of creating a National Broadband Plan arose, and what the institute can do to further this goal. The report noted the important role of public libraries in helping Americans get online, and in this regard, the IMLS should take the lead “for making policy changes in the years ahead that will provide additional funding and support for libraries.”

 

Another recommendation for IMLS involved the digitizing of information housed at libraries.

 

“IMLS should develop guidelines for public access technology based on populations served and organization size,” the report stated, adding “these guidelines would help libraries and [community-based organizations] assess their needs for public access workstations, portable devices and bandwidth. IMLS should work with these organizations to develop guidelines and review them annually to reflect changing technology and practices.”

 

Opportunity for All (Institute of Museum and Library Services)

more

Comments

Leave a comment

Founded: 1996
Annual Budget: $291.9 million (FY 2013 Request)
Employees: 65
Official Website: http://www.imls.gov
Institute of Museum and Library Services
Matthew, Kathryn “Kit”
Director

On March 10, 2015, President Barack Obama nominated Kathryn “Kit” Matthew to be director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the primary source of federal support for the nation’s libraries and museums. If confirmed, this would be Matthew’s first federal post.

 

Matthew was born in Charleston, South Carolina, but lived all over with her Navy family. She graduated from Mount Holyoke College and went on to earn an MBA from the University of Minnesota and a Ph.D. in biology from the University of Pennsylvania, where she studied penguins. Penn is also where she met her husband, George Stevens, another biologist who gravitated into another field, in his case fundraising and philanthropy.  He is currently CEO of the Coastal Community Foundation in South Carolina.

 

Matthew’s first professional jobs included posts at the Cranbrook Institute of Science and the Academy of Natural Sciences. In 1986, she was named assistant director at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History. Two years later, Matthew was deputy director of the Virginia Museum of Natural History and in 1991 was named executive director of the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science.

 

She joined the corporate world in 1994 as a project management consultant at Unilever. While still working for the consumer products giant, in 1996 she was made a director of Science City at Union Station in Kansas City, Missouri. Matthew left both posts in 1998 and became director of strategic initiatives and new product development for athletic shoe maker Reebok.

 

Matthew returned to non-profits in 2001 as director of marketing and philanthropy for the Massachusetts chapter of The Nature Conservancy. The following year she became corporate giving consultant for the Wildlife Conservation Society.

 

In 2003, Matthew was named vice president for an expansion project and exhibit design for the Please Touch Museum in Philadelphia. The following year, while still at the Please Touch Museum, she became an exhibits consultant for the Chemical Heritage Foundation.

 

Matthew returned to Charleston in 2005 as director of the Historic Charleston Foundation, serving there until 2008. At that time, she rejoined the corporate world as a product manager for Blackbaud, which develops and markets fund raising and membership software for non-profit organizations. In 2014, Matthew was named chief science educator for Children’s Museum of Indianapolis.

-Steve Straehley

 

To Learn More:

Museum Veteran Dr. Kathryn (Kit) Matthew Nominated to Head Institute of Library and Museum Services (by Joe Kleiman, InPark)

Official Announcement

more
Hildreth, Susan
Previous Director

A career librarian and administrator, Susan H. Hildreth was nominated to be director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) by President Barack Obama in September 2010. Confirmed by the Senate on December 22, she assumed the position on January 19, 2011. The Institute oversees federal financial support for libraries and museums around the country.

 
Hildreth has three college degrees: a Bachelor of Arts from Syracuse in 1972 and a master’s degree in library science from State University of New York at Albany in 1973. She also earned and an MBA from Rutgers University,
 
She began her career as a branch librarian at the Edison Township Library in New Jersey. This was followed by four years as library director for the Benicia Public Library in Benicia, California, several years as head librarian for Placer County, California, and five years as deputy library director at the Sacramento Public Library.
 
Hildreth later served as deputy director and then city librarian at the San Francisco Public Library. In July 2004, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger appointed her as California’s state librarian. She served from August 2, 2004, until February 13, 2009. She was then chosen to head the library system of Seattle, a position she held until took over as director of the IMLS.
 
Hildreth has been active in the American Library Association and served as president of the Public Library Association in 2006.
-Noel Brinkerhoff, David Wallechinsky
 
 
more