Institute of Museum and Library Services facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Institute of Museum and Library Services

Agency overview
Formed	1996; 29 years ago (1996)
Headquarters	L'Enfant Plaza Washington, D.C.
Employees	70
Annual budget	$313.58 million for 2023
Agency executive	Cyndee Landrum, Acting Director
Website	www.imls.gov

The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is a special agency of the United States federal government. It was started in 1996. IMLS is the main way the government helps libraries and museums across the United States.

Its main goal is to support and help America’s museums and libraries. It does this by giving out money (called grants), doing research, and helping to create rules for these places. In 2023, IMLS had a budget of over $313 million. About 70 people work for IMLS.

IMLS is part of a bigger group called the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities. This group also includes agencies that support art and history.

Why IMLS Helps Museums and Libraries

When IMLS was created, leaders in government saw that libraries and museums do a lot for our country. They help with culture, education, science, and sharing information.

The government believes that for a country to be strong, its citizens need to be smart and have good ideas. A big part of the government's job is to help everyone get an education and find information, no matter where they live or what their background is.

By helping museums and libraries, IMLS makes sure these places can connect everyone with important cultural, artistic, historical, natural, and scientific knowledge. This knowledge is a big part of our shared heritage.

IMLS helps make sure all Americans can use museum and library services. It supports new and exciting ideas, as well as proven ways to help people. IMLS funds projects that help people learn throughout their lives. It also supports projects that help with internet access and learning digital skills. These projects also help with learning, being involved in the community, and understanding things like climate change.

The agency also helps museums and libraries get better at serving their communities. They do this by giving grants for training staff and by sharing information about new trends.

IMLS helps many different kinds of museums. These include art, history, and children’s museums. They also help zoos, science centers, historic homes, and botanical gardens. IMLS also helps many types of libraries. This includes public libraries, school libraries, and libraries for Native American tribes. They also help archives and other cultural groups.

IMLS is the biggest source of money from the government for libraries. It sends money to all 50 states, Washington D.C., and U.S. territories. In 2022, IMLS gave out over $257 million to different places.

History of IMLS

IMLS was created by a law called the Museum and Library Services Act (MLSA) in 1996. This law brought together two older programs. One program helped museums since 1976. The other helped libraries since 1937.

Lawmakers thought that combining these programs would be very helpful. They believed it would make the support for libraries and museums stronger. The law allows IMLS to:

• Make library services better.
• Help people find resources in libraries.
• Encourage libraries to share resources.
• Help museums serve the public and educate people.
• Encourage new ideas in museum services.
• Help museums protect America's history.
• Help museums be well-managed and serve the public well.
• Support sharing resources among museums, libraries, and other groups.

The law also lets IMLS study how museum and library services help people. The MLSA law is reviewed every five years. It was last updated in 2018.

Leadership at IMLS

When IMLS was created, it was decided that the agency would have a director who changes every few years. The director is chosen by the President and approved by the Senate. Each director serves for four years.

Past Directors

• Diane Frankel (1996): She led the agency when it first started helping both museums and libraries.
• Robert S. Martin (2001): He was a professor and library director before joining IMLS.
• Anne-Imelda Radice (2006): She worked in education and as a curator before becoming director.
• Susan H. Hildreth (2011): She started her career as a librarian and worked in many public libraries.
• Kathryn K. Matthew (2015): She is a scientist with a long career in museums.
• Crosby Kemper III (2020): He was the director of the Kansas City Public Library.
• Cyndee Landrum (Acting Director) (2024): She oversees the largest program that gives money to libraries.

How IMLS Gives Grants

IMLS offers many grants to museums, libraries, and other cultural places. These grants help IMLS reach its goals. These goals include encouraging new ideas, helping people learn, and getting people involved in their communities.

The agency chooses who gets grants through a fair process. Experts from all over the country help decide. This helps museums and libraries in different areas provide important services. These services help people and communities grow.

Office of Library Services

The Office of Library Services (OLS) helps train library staff and volunteers. This helps create a skilled workforce. OLS also helps libraries offer resources that teach different types of skills. These include reading, digital skills, and health information. It also helps library and museum workers share good ideas. IMLS is the biggest source of federal money for libraries in the country.

Grants To States

The Grants to States program is the largest way the government supports library services. IMLS gives money to state library agencies. These agencies then help libraries in all 50 states, D.C., and U.S. territories. This program helps libraries with things like internet access, digital learning, and community involvement.

Each year, about 1,500 projects get money from this program. State library agencies can give this money to public, academic, school, or special libraries.

Other Library Grants

The Office of Library Services also offers other grants. These include:

• National Leadership Grants for Libraries
• Native American Library Services: Basic Grants
• Native American Library Services: Enhancement Grants
• Native Hawaiian Library Services Grants
• Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program

Office of Museum Services

The Office of Museum Services (OMS) helps train museum staff and volunteers. This helps create a skilled workforce for museums. OMS also helps museums offer resources that teach different types of skills. These include reading, digital skills, and health information.

Museums come in many types and sizes. These include zoos, aquariums, botanical gardens, science centers, history museums, art museums, and children’s museums.

Museum Grants

The Office of Museum Services offers several grants. These include:

• Museums for America
• Inspire! Grants for Small Museums
• Museums Empowered
• 21st Century Museum Professional
• National Leadership Grants for Museums
• Native American/Native Hawaiian Museum Services
• Museum Grants for African American History and Culture
• Museum Grants for American Latino History and Culture

American Latino Museum Internships

This program helps students get internships and fellowships at American Latino museums. It helps students who are studying American Latino life, art, history, and culture.

Collections Assessment For Preservation Program (CAP)

This program helps small and medium-sized museums. It gives them money to check how they care for their collections and buildings. This helps them protect old and important items.

Museum Assessment Program (MAP)

This program helps museums improve how they operate and plan for the future. Museums can check their own work and get advice from other museum experts.

Special Programs and Initiatives

IMLS250: All Stories, All People, All Places

IMLS is getting ready for America's 250th birthday in 2026. This program aims to share all kinds of stories from all people and places in America.

Information Literacy Taskforce

IMLS is working with other groups to help people learn how to find and understand information. This is important because there is so much information out there. This taskforce helps libraries teach people how to understand topics like health, climate, and public safety.

National Medal for Museum and Library Service

This is the highest award for museums and libraries in the country. It honors places that do amazing things for their communities. Since 1994, IMLS has given this award to many great libraries and museums.

In 2023, eight places won this award:

Libraries

• Kuskokwim Consortium Library (Bethel, AK)
• LA County Library (Los Angeles, CA)
• Long Branch Free Public Library (Long Branch, NJ)
• Toledo-Lucas County Public Library (Toledo, OH)

Museums

• COSI: Center of Science and Industry (Columbus, OH)
• Jim Gatchell Memorial Museum (Buffalo, WY)
• Museum of Discovery and Science (Fort Lauderdale, FL)
• Riverside Art Museum (Riverside, CA)

The First Lady of the United States usually presents this award. In 2023, First Lady Jill Biden hosted the ceremony.

National Student Poets Program

This program honors young poets in the country. IMLS works with the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers on this. Each year, five student poets are chosen from across the country. They are usually in 10th or 11th grade. These young poets then lead readings and workshops at libraries, museums, and schools. They also take part in literary events.

The 2023 National Student Poets are:

• Jacqueline Flores (Southeast), Florida
• Miles Hardingwood (Northeast), New York
• Shangri-La Hou (Midwest), Missouri
• Kallan McKinney (Southwest), Oklahoma
• Gabriella Miranda (West), Utah

First Lady Jill Biden honored these poets at the White House in November 2023.

Save America's Treasures

This is a grant program that helps protect important historic places and collections. IMLS works with the National Park Service and other groups on this. The program helps preserve things that are important to our nation's history.

Museums for All

This program helps low-income families visit museums. IMLS works with the Association of Children’s Museums on this. Museums that are part of this program offer free or very cheap entry to families who have a SNAP EBT card. Over 1,000 museums are part of this program. It has helped over 5 million children and families visit museums.

National Tribal Broadband Summit

This summit helps bring internet access to Native American tribal lands. IMLS works with other government groups and tribal nations. The goal is to make it easier to get good internet service on tribal lands.

Communities for Immunity

IMLS worked with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to help people feel more confident about getting COVID-19 vaccines. They gave money to museums and libraries to help share information about vaccines in their local communities.

REopening Archives, Libraries and Museums (REALM)

IMLS worked with other groups to create information and advice. This advice helps museums, libraries, and archives reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19.

Research and Data

The Office of Research and Evaluation (ORE) helps IMLS make libraries and museums stronger. It helps them connect people to information and ideas. ORE does three main things:

• It studies how policies work.
• It checks how well programs are doing.
• It collects surveys and data.

Important projects include checking the Grants to States program. They also collect data from public libraries and state library agencies. ORE uses this research to find out what museums and libraries need. They also measure how well services work and find the best ways to improve them.

Surveys and Data Collection

• Data Catalog: This has information about grants and about libraries, museums, and related groups.
• Public Library Survey (PLS): This collects information from about 9,000 public library systems.
• State Library Agency Survey (SLAA): This gives information about state libraries.
• Public Needs for Library and Museum Services Survey (PNLMS): This asks people what they expect from and how happy they are with cultural places.
• Museum Data File (MDF): This has information about cultural places in the United States.
• Administration Discretionary Grant Data: This keeps records of grants IMLS has given since 1996.

Images for kids

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  Former IMLS Director Robert S. Martin is congratulated by John Y. Cole, Director of the Center for the Book at the Library of Congress, during his farewell reception. Martin was director from 2001–2005.