Creating a 

Nation of Learners

Strategic Plan 2012–2016

Institute of Museum 

and Library Services 
1

Contents

Contents ................................................................................................................................................................ 1

Creating a Nation of Learners ............................................................................................................................... 2

IMLS Vision.............................................................................................................................................................. 4

IMLS Mission........................................................................................................................................................... 4

IMLS Guiding Values............................................................................................................................................... 4

IMLS Long-Term Goals .......................................................................................................................................... 5

IMLS Performance Improvement Model ................................................................................................................ 5

Strategic Goal #1 .................................................................................................................................................. 7

IMLS places the learner at the center and supports engaging experiences in libraries and museums 

that prepare people to be full participants in their local communities and our global society.

Strategic Goal #2 ............................................................................................................................................... 12

IMLS promotes museums and libraries as strong community anchors that enhance civic 

engagement, cultural opportunities, and economic vitality.

Strategic Goal #3 ............................................................................................................................................... 16

IMLS supports exemplary stewardship of museum and library collections and promotes the use of 

technology to facilitate discovery of knowledge and cultural heritage.

Strategic Goal #4 ............................................................................................................................................... 19

IMLS advises the President and Congress on plans, policies, and activities to sustain and 

increase public access to information and ideas through libraries and museums

Strategic Goal #5 ............................................................................................................................................... 24

IMLS achieves excellence in public management and performs as a model organization 

through strategic alignment of IMLS resources and prioritization of programmatic activities, 

maximizing value for the American public.

Assessment Methodology .................................................................................................................................. 28

Appendix A. IMLS Organizational Chart .............................................................................................................. 29

Appendix B. Strategic Planning Phases .............................................................................................................. 30

Appendix C. IMLS Mandates............................................................................................................................... 33

Appendix D: Public Engagement in the IMLS Strategic Planning Process ......................................................... 35
2

A democratic society 

in the knowledge age 

demands that its citizens 

learn continually, adapt to 

change readily, and 

evaluate information 

critically. 

Creating a Nation of Learners

U.S. museums and libraries are at the forefront in the movement to create a nation of learners.

As stewards of cultural heritage with rich, authentic content, they provide learning experiences 

for everyone. With built infrastructure in nearly every community in the nation and dedicated, 

knowledgeable staff, they connect people to one another and to the full spectrum of human 

experience. The nation’s museums and libraries provide opportunities for powerful learning 

experiences that inspire people throughout their lifetimes and contribute to the civic life of our 

nation.

Trusted in their communities, libraries and museums play important roles in creating an informed 

and educated citizenry and transmitting the values of our democracy. Our role at the Institute of 

Museum and Library Services is to provide libraries, museums, and policy makers with the 

resources they need to ensure that the American ideal of open access to information and ideas 

flourishes, through leadership, data, analysis, and funding.

Museums and libraries help to level the playing field. 

They provide access to technology, strengthen community 

relationships, and offer an entrée to services and information 

that some individuals might not otherwise have. Without 

libraries and museums it would be more difficult, potentially 

impossible, for some Americans to seek employment 

opportunities, enhance their education, and lead healthier 

lives. Libraries and museums are not luxuries; they are 

fundamental to supporting the civic life and well-being of 

our nation.

Economic changes are causing reductions in all sources of public (state and local) and private 

(corporation, foundation, and individual) funding for libraries and museums. At the same time, 

public demand for library and museum services is increasing. As stressed public agencies cut 

back on service, communities are more fully leveraging the assets of libraries and museums and 

calling on them to fill the gaps by providing workforce services, afterschool programming, 

teacher training, and broadband access.

Although many libraries and museums are fully embracing new service opportunities, they are 

also facing difficult decisions. Serious questions must be addressed about how libraries and 

museums will continue to meet public demand. Reductions in staff have direct impacts on public 

service, such as reduced hours, less programming for hard-to-reach populations, and less 

capacity to support important learning outcomes. Changing information delivery services, new 

platforms, and outdated information policies are creating new challenges to provide critical 

materials, both print and digital, that are the foundation for all other services. 

In 2010, against a backdrop of societal change and economic uncertainty, Congress passed and 

the President signed the reauthorization of the Museum and Library Services Act (the Act), 

giving IMLS unique federal responsibilities for “the development and implementation of policy 

to ensure the availability of museum, library, and information services adequate to meet the 
3

essential information, education, research, economic, cultural, and civic needs of the people of 

the United States.”

IMLS is charged with advising the President and Congress on library, museum, and information 

services and with supporting a wide range of programming that impacts the lives of millions of 

Americans. The law recognizes that U.S. libraries and museums are powerful national assets 

with capacity that must be developed and fully used to enhance economic development and 

lifelong learning. IMLS is charged with supporting the full range of museums, including history, 

art, science and technology, children’s, natural history, historic houses, nature centers, botanical 

gardens, and zoos; and all types of libraries, including public, school, academic, research, tribal,

and archival.

The Act clearly recognizes how libraries and museums contribute to a competitive workforce 

and engaged citizenry. It advances the roles of libraries and museums in education, early 

learning, preservation, and workforce development. The new law directs IMLS to actively 

strengthen the capacity of libraries and museums to improve Americans’ access to 21st century 

skills and lifelong learning opportunities and to address the needs of people who are 

underserved. 

The ubiquity of the nation’s 123,000 libraries and 17,500 museums, the trust invested in them by 

their communities, and their focus on learning and community engagement make them 

outstanding partners in furthering our nation’s policy goals in a host of areas, including health, 

education, cultural preservation, the environment, and global awareness. The law recognizes 

IMLS’s role as a partner with other federal agencies to enlist libraries and museums in achieving 

these policy outcomes.

This strategic plan was developed at a time when, as a nation, we are at risk of diminishing our 

support for libraries and museums and undermining the institutional supports that contribute to 

civic life in our nation, making it more difficult for Americans to find work, get an education, 

and lead healthy lives; more difficult and expensive for everyone—businesses, researchers, 

scientists, writers, and entrepreneurs—to find the information and data they need to build a 

strong economy and experience a rich quality of life.

Under the parameters of the new authorization, and with broad public consultation, including a 

social media platform that engaged more than 1,400 participants, we have developed our fiveyear strategic plan to purposefully provide leadership to help libraries and museums navigate 

significant cultural, economic, and technological changes and evolve their services to meet the 

demands of 21st century learners and communities.

With this strategic plan, we are building on IMLS’s solid foundation and targeting five strategic 

goals. The goals focus on positive public outcomes for communities and individuals; support the 

unique role of museums and libraries in preserving and providing access to collections and 

content; and promote library, museum, and information service policies that ensure access to 

information for all Americans. 
4

IMLS Vision

The vision of IMLS is a democratic society where communities and individuals thrive with broad 

public access to knowledge, cultural heritage, and lifelong learning.

IMLS Mission

The mission of IMLS is to inspire libraries and museums to advance innovation, lifelong 

learning, and cultural and civic engagement. We provide leadership through research, policy 

development, and grant making.

IMLS Guiding Values

We Value... 

Working for the Public Good 

• We foster strategic, innovative, and practical investments for the future. 

• We recognize that IMLS is a steward of taxpayer dollars.

• We enhance opportunity and access for all.

• We create programs that make a difference.

• We measure impact and support communities of practice.

Integrity 

• We are accountable; we make transparent decisions and openly share information.

• We actively listen to and communicate with our colleagues and the people we serve.

• We treat people with respect and courtesy.

• We uphold the public's trust by acting in an ethical manner. 

Collaboration 

• We work as a team, sharing and leveraging resources to achieve mutual goals.

• We recognize that diverse input leads to a better outcome.

• We encourage strategic partnerships.

Continuous Learning 

• We embrace play, fun, creativity, discovery, and imagination as central to learning

experiences.

• We promote personal, professional, and organizational growth.

• We encourage creative, inquisitive, continuous learning.
5

IMLS Long-Term Goals

Strategic Goal 1: IMLS places the learner at the center and supports engaging experiences in 

libraries and museums that prepare people to be full participants in their local communities and 

our global society.

Strategic Goal 2: IMLS promotes museums and libraries as strong community anchors that 

enhance civic engagement, cultural opportunities, and economic vitality.

Strategic Goal 3: IMLS supports exemplary stewardship of museum and library collections and 

promotes the use of technology to facilitate discovery of knowledge and cultural heritage.

Strategic Goal 4: IMLS advises the President and Congress on plans, policies, and activities that 

sustain and increase public access to information and ideas.

Strategic Goal 5: IMLS achieves excellence in public management and performs as a model 

organization through strategic alignment of IMLS resources and prioritization of programmatic 

activities, maximizing value for the American public.

IMLS Performance Improvement Model

The IMLS Performance Improvement Model establishes a clear framework for synthesizing 

lessons learned from grant-making, national initiatives and analysis of sector trends to informing 

future grant-making, sharing best practices and building organizational capacity in the museum 

and library sectors.

This approach builds on the agency’s core competencies:

• IMLS has more than 15 years of experience as a grant maker, involved with thousands of 

grants across the country. The IMLS practice of rigorous peer-review confers a highly 

regarded quality status on competitively awarded grants. This rich grant portfolio 

provides us with a suite of options for furthering taxpayer investments using sound 

business practices. 

• IMLS is the primary federal source of data about the library and museum sectors. The 

agency is a thought leader in the museum, library, and information sectors, with deep 

subject matter expertise in museum and library services and capacities for public 

engagement, program evaluation, strategic planning, and public policy research. 

• IMLS is a neutral convener and sought-after partner that works with other organizations 

from the federal sector, with the states, and with private foundations to develop national 

initiatives and partnerships. 

In developing this plan, IMLS is focusing on areas where it can best effect change and measure 

its results. The plan provides an opportunity for IMLS to move beyond measuring its impact on a 
6

project by project basis to establishing a broader framework for monitoring and reporting 

progress on agency wide goals and objectives.

Figure 1 draws on the three agency assets and applies them to a performance improvement 

model that frames the strategic direction of this plan.

Figure 1: IMLS Performance Improvement Model 

As seen in the left side of the figure, the model begins with the organization’s three principal 

tools: convening national initiatives/partnerships, leveraging through grant-making, and 

exercising thought leadership through research. These tools are applied to strategies that include

connecting with stakeholders, promoting and supporting effective practices, building capacity in 

targeted areas, and investing in innovation and future research and development. In turn, these 

strategies are combined with assessment (of grants, stakeholders, effective practices, programs,

and trends) and communication (partnerships, dissemination of best practices, and research 

reports/policy briefs) to lead to tangible outcomes, stronger communities of practice, improved 

public service delivery, and broadened public access to services. The process is iterative, relying 

on research, communication, aligning of grant-making, capacity-building, and continuous 

results-focused assessment and adaptation.
7

The Institute's Museums, 

Libraries, and 21st Century 

Skills initiative underscores the 

critical role that our nation’s 

museums and libraries play in 

helping citizens build such 

21st century skills as 

information, communications, 

and technology literacy; critical 

thinking; problem solving; 

creativity; civic literacy; and 

global awareness.

Strategic Goal #1

IMLS places the learner at the center and supports engaging experiences in 

libraries and museums that prepare people to be full participants in their local 

communities and our global society.

The education of children and adults, and today’s imperative for continuous learning require “all 

hands on deck.” Increasingly, policy makers and researchers are recognizing that we must create 

and coordinate a learning ecosystem of “life-long” “life-wide” opportunities for formal and 

informal learning. IMLS has long supported libraries and museums as parts of the learning 

ecosystem in the United States.

In our rapidly changing society and economy, individuals must continually update the skills

required for active, informed participation in our increasingly globalized society. IMLS helps 

libraries and museums reach underserved audiences and develop learning experiences in every 

discipline, including science and engineering, history, art and culture; and basic, digital, health, 

and financial literacies.

Libraries and museums are leaders in delivering high-quality 

learning experiences to individuals of all ages, backgrounds, 

and circumstances. They are essential and trusted institutions 

that create accessible and audience-focused programs, 

environments, and services for lifelong learning. They are key 

partners with schools and universities, able to deliver services 

that complement and enhance learning. As learning 

institutions, libraries and museums have both the professional 

capacity and flexibility to adapt to an increasingly broad 

spectrum of learning needs and styles to benefit individuals 

directly. Not only can libraries and museums respond to 

increasing demand for learning services, they can facilitate

active, engaged learning that provides individuals with the 

tools and methods to access and interpret knowledge and 

information throughout their lifetimes.

Objective 1.1: Invest in projects that provide inclusive and accessible learning 

opportunities to individuals of diverse geographic, cultural, special needs, and 

socioeconomic backgrounds

Promoting inclusive and accessible learning services for the American people is a critical role of 

the federal government, and IMLS is uniquely positioned to facilitate and highlight the work that 

libraries and museums do in addressing a wide variety of learning needs and providing services 

to increasingly diverse communities. IMLS plays a leadership role in promoting inclusive 

services that address the needs of the increasingly diverse populations of our country as well as 

the accessibility requirements of all users.
8

Activities and Evidence of Progress: 

• Promote and share project outcomes and best practices to access and serve special 

populations and underserved communities; mechanisms will include the IMLS web site 

and other information-sharing platforms.

o Starting in fiscal year (FY) 2012, IMLS will issue annual reports on trends and 

potential gaps in the availability and use of museum and library services among 

diverse populations.

• Direct a portion of IMLS discretionary grant funds to target library and museum services 

to support inclusive and accessible learning opportunities using identified best practices. 

o In FY13, IMLS will designate a portion of discretionary grant funds to target 

library and museum services that serve special needs populations and/or 

underserved communities using identified best practices.

• Develop consistent metrics from the program to the grant level that enable all IMLS 

grants to better assess their effectiveness, with special focus on inclusive and accessible 

learning opportunities.

o By FY15, at least 90 percent of IMLS grantees will provide performance-based 

reports using consistent metrics.

• Assess progress and develop recommendations to guide future strategies for IMLS 

investments.

o By FY16, IMLS will complete an assessment of efforts to promote and support 

inclusive and accessible learning opportunities with recommendations for the 

following five years.

Objective 1.2: Support communities of practice that draw on current research 

and evaluation literature to develop effective informal and formal learning 

experiences in museums and libraries.

There is growing research about how best to develop dynamic learning environments that enable 

individuals of all ages to engage in customized learning opportunities that are easily accessible 

and fulfill their specific information needs. To help libraries and museums apply the latest 

research, IMLS can seed and support dynamic communities of practice to aggregate and share

project results, current research and evaluation studies, and continued conversation and 

discussion of "what works." IMLS promotes evidence-based practice in the delivery of learning 

opportunities in museums and libraries and consistent use of evaluation tools and techniques, and 

facilitates exchanges within and outside the museum and library sector on best practices for 

informal and formal learning experiences. With this approach, IMLS ensures effective agency 

investments and helps to scale up successful projects and to create better museum and library 

learning opportunities and experiences for the public.

Activities and Evidence of Progress: 

• Synthesize research and evaluation findings from past IMLS grants around informal 

lifetime learning and formal education to identify trends, lessons learned, and best 

practices.

o By FY13, IMLS will complete assessment of trends and best practices for 

informal and formal learning in museums and libraries.
9

• Promote and share project outcomes and best practices using the IMLS web site and other 

information-sharing platforms.

o By FY14, at least 50 percent of Grants to States and discretionary grantees will 

adopt identified best practices in informal and formal learning in museums and 

libraries and share lessons learned, using the IMLS web site and other 

information-sharing platforms.

• Require current and future IMLS grantees to share information to improve informal 

learning and formal education opportunities for the public through libraries and 

museums; mechanisms will include the IMLS web site and other information-sharing 

platforms.

o By FY13, IMLS will revise reporting guidelines to more clearly identify project 

lessons and best practices in informal and formal education programming. 

o By FY16, at least 75 percent of grantees will have completed new reporting 

requirements that highlight project lessons and best practices. 

• Develop stronger incentives for IMLS grantees to conduct formative and summative 

evaluation of informal learning and formal education projects, aligned with evaluation 

plans of the affected IMLS programs.

o By FY14, at least 70 percent of grantees in targeted discretionary grant programs 

will use formative and summative assessments that correlate to measurable IMLS 

program objectives.

o By FY15, 90 percent of Grants to States partners will have incorporated 

consistent metrics for assessing and benchmarking funded informal and formal 

learning experiences.

• Convene grantees and other stakeholders to review lessons learned and identify future 

directions to improve outcomes from informal and formal learning in museums and 

libraries. 

o By FY16, IMLS will have developed a set of detailed funding and project 

priorities to be addressed in informal and formal learning experiences in museums 

and libraries in the following five years based on stakeholder input through 

convenings and social media outreach. 

• Assess progress and develop recommendations to guide future strategies for IMLS 

investments to further Americans’ opportunities to better pursue lifelong learning and 

formal education through museums and libraries. 

Objective 1.3: Facilitate partnerships among museums, libraries, and other 

education providers to expand learning opportunities for the public.

IMLS has found that partnerships that put “learners at the center” can dramatically enhance

outcomes and organizational change for services provided to the public in museums, libraries,

and other settings. Further, the explosion of digital technologies and the proliferation of mobile 

learning devices mean that the traditional boundaries between and among learning institutions 

are disappearing. Collaborations can leverage seamless 24/7 access to learning opportunities.

Effective partnerships among museums, libraries, and other education providers can increase the 

availability of high-quality educational experiences for individuals and allow partners to 

capitalize on organizational strengths to meet learners' needs. IMLS encourages effective
10

partnerships using a holistic approach to address the learning needs of all people in a community. 

This is particularly effective when there is a shared, learner-focused understanding of effective 

learning outcomes. Partnerships help to target, for example, senior citizens, early learners, teens, 

and people with special needs and realize cost efficiencies through resource sharing. 

Activities and Evidence of Progress: 

• Assess past library and museum projects supported with IMLS funds that included 

partnerships with formal education institutions and community organizations that provide 

informal learning. 

o By FY13, at least 80 percent of applicants and current IMLS grantees will 

systematically document the types and roles of partners in their projects.

• Provide best practice resources for museum and library partnerships with other 

community-based providers, drawing upon research in related fields.

o By FY14, IMLS will have documented best practices on effective partnership for 

formal and informal learning in museums and libraries.

• Revise selected IMLS program and grant guidelines to incentivize the use of best 

practices for learning partnerships.

o By FY15, at least 60 percent of IMLS grantees working in partnership with 

formal education and other community providers will adopt identified best 

practices.

o By FY16, at least 80 percent of IMLS grantees working in partnership with 

formal education and other community providers will adopt identified best 

practices.

• Foster partnerships with other federal agencies, foundations, and the private sector that 

support comprehensive approaches to learning at the state and local levels. 

• Continue to assess the impact of partnerships on the effective delivery of informal 

learning in IMLS grant programs and other agency initiatives, including efforts 

undertaken in the Grants to States program. 

• Assess impact of grant making and make recommendations for the future. 

o By FY16, IMLS will complete reassessment of effectiveness of partnerships that 

have used best practices and make recommendations for the following five years. 

Objective 1.4: Support the training and development of museum and library 

leadership to meet the needs of diverse publics in a rapidly changing 

environment.

Library and museum professionals strive to meet the learning needs of increasingly diverse 

service populations, and they are at the forefront of ensuring their institutions and their staffs 

have the resources, tools, and methods necessary to deliver effective services to communities. 

IMLS supports these leaders in identifying high-priority training needs and providing highquality resources that help leaders assess their own communities’ learning needs, and evaluate 

and enhance their institutions’ capacity to meet them. IMLS also helps library and museum 

professionals develop unique competencies to teach essential 21st century skills, including 

critical analysis and information, media, and data literacy.
11

Activities and Evidence of Progress: 

• Convene museum and library leaders in professional education and training with 

practicing professionals in the museum and library field to evaluate current investments 

and identify high-priority learning needs for current and future professionals.

• Develop an action plan to align educational opportunities with the current and future 

needs of the museum and library workforce.

o By FY13, IMLS will complete an action plan with measurable objectives for 

education of professional museum and library staff, reflecting priorities identified 

through the stakeholder convening.

• Align IMLS museum and library workforce development grants to the goals and 

priorities of the action plan.

o By FY14, at least 80 percent of applicants for professional development projects 

will align applications with the recommends of the action plan.

• Assess impact of projects and make recommendations for future investments.

o By FY16, IMLS will complete assessment of the effectiveness of funded 

professional development projects in addressing the high-priority learning needs 

of the fields.
12

Let's Move! Museums 

& Gardens 

This national initiative provides 

opportunities for millions of 

museum and garden visitors to 

learn about healthy food 

choices and promote physical 

activity through interactive 

exhibits and programs.

Public Libraries and 

the Workforce 

The U.S. Department of Labor 

Employment and Training 

Administration and IMLS are 

working together to highlight 

effective practices and 

encourage additional 

collaboration between the 

workforce investment system 

and public libraries.

Strategic Goal #2

IMLS promotes museums and libraries as strong community anchors that 

enhance civic engagement, cultural opportunities, and economic vitality.

Healthy, thriving, sustainable communities need institutions that strengthen civic life, understand 

and respond to community needs, and provide common experiences that knit together diverse 

interests. Libraries and museums help local communities and our nation advance solutions to our 

most difficult problems. They are safe places for community gathering, centers for community 

vitality, a connecting point for community services, and a venue for cultural expression and 

lifelong learning. 

The very definition of community is rapidly shifting and developing in the United States today. 

Demographic change, communications and other technological innovations, economic forces,

and social and cultural shifts have at once brought individuals closer together and farther apart. 

But the desire for a sense of belonging and engagement in society remains strong. There is an 

increasing demand for safe spaces that can serve as anchor institutions by facilitating dialogue;

fostering greater understanding of local, cultural and global issues; addressing common 

community challenges; and connecting individuals to vital information and resources including 

education, health, employment, and disaster response. Strong community anchor institutions are 

essential for improving the quality of life in cities and towns across the country. 

Museums and libraries are unique community-based 

organizations that are well positioned to serve as these anchor 

institutions. They provide services that connect people to 

information and ideas. They encourage the participation and 

dialogue that are crucial to creating a sense of place and 

strengthening the link between individuals to their 

communities. They are more than just safe places for 

community gathering; they provide a center for community 

vitality, a connecting point for community services, and a 

venue for cultural expression and lifelong learning. Programs

and services at libraries and museums enhance civic 

discourse, increase scientific literacy, and connect 

communities to information regarding health, education, job 

seeking and training, digital literacy, and early and 

intergenerational learning. 

IMLS has deep expertise in supporting institutions that 

contribute to the development of healthy, thriving, and 

sustainable communities. Through its deep knowledge of the 

library and museum sectors, IMLS identifies and leverages

innovative services developed in one community with similar 

service providers in communities across the country. Targeted 

federal investments can maximize use of private, state, and 
13

local funds; ensure that underserved populations are reached; and provide links to practice, 

research, and data across agencies working to address community needs. 

Objective 2.1: Invest in projects that strengthen the role of libraries and 

museums as core components of a broader community learning and service 

infrastructure.

MLS makes important investments in museums and libraries that are highly trusted and safe 

gathering places. With IMLS support, libraries and museums enrich community members’ 

knowledge and understanding of critical local and global issues, provide forums for community 

dialogue, and connect individuals to resources in the broader community service infrastructure 

through their programs and services.

Activities and Evidence of Progress: 

• Identify best practices in assessing community impacts of museum and library services 

and promote those practices through IMLS communications platforms.

• Identify and assemble no-cost tools and resources for museums and libraries to use to 

conduct community needs assessments and promote evidence-based planning.

o By FY13, IMLS will develop tools for museum and library stakeholders to 

conduct improved and systematic assessments to meet a range of social and 

economic needs.

• Require IMLS grantees to include community needs assessments for projects designed to 

address a local service issue, and to carefully evaluate those community-based projects.

o By FY14, 80 percent of applicants for community engagement projects will use 

IMLS-provided community assessment tools in their application.

o By FY15, 70 percent of funded museum and library community engagement 

projects will incorporate best practices in evaluation that align with measurable 

agency objectives.

• Review current investments and align targeted investments in community-based museum 

and library services with best practices and community needs assessment-based planning. 

• Convene grantees and other stakeholders to review lessons learned and identify future 

directions to better integrate community needs assessment into library and museum 

service planning.

o By FY15, IMLS will convene grantees and other stakeholders to review lessons 

learned from funded initiatives for addressing high-priority community needs.

• Assess impact of grant making and make recommendations for the future.

o By FY16, IMLS will assess the effectiveness of grant making to address 

identified community needs and make recommendations for the following five

years.
14

Objective 2.2: Partner with other federal agencies to leverage the resources of 

libraries and museums in advancing national priorities, including education, 

health, disaster preparedness, digital literacy and economic and workforce 

development.

Education, health, disaster preparedness, digital literacy, and economic and workforce 

development are among the greatest areas of focus for the federal government. They are the 

drivers of national strength, a healthy economy, and competitiveness in the global knowledge 

society. Coordination across agencies can broaden impact and reach individuals and 

communities through diverse channels, helping to deliver services more efficiently and 

effectively. Museums and libraries are centers of community activity and engagement that can 

play a key role in providing learning opportunities that enhance skills and connect families and 

individuals of all ages to critical local, state, and national information and services.

Activities and Evidence of Progress: 

• Identify other federal agencies whose interests intersect with national priorities that can 

be addressed by the work of libraries and museums.

o By FY13, IMLS will complete a scan of national priorities where the work of 

museums and libraries intersect with key priorities addressed by other federal 

agencies.

• Convene meetings with agencies that have intersecting priorities with IMLS, and identify 

ways for agencies to work together to solve community-wide problems and challenges 

and identify opportunities for coordination at the state and local levels.

o By FY14, at least three formal interagency collaborations will be established to 

advance national priorities, detailing action plans and measurable performance 

objectives.

• Develop action plans to reduce barriers and maximize opportunities for state and local 

coordination of services that include formal partnerships, interagency agreements, 

complementary grant programs, or other formal interagency collaborations.

o By FY15, IMLS will assess progress made in formal collaborations with IMLS; 

identify barriers to progress and develop strategies to address those barriers.

• Assess progress made and develop recommendations for the next five years.

o By FY16, IMLS will assess the effectiveness of its interagency collaborations and 

develop recommendations for the following five years.

Objective 2.3: Ensure that public and private sector leaders have the 

information they need to make strategic policy and investment decisions that 

leverage the infrastructure and expertise of museums and libraries.

Museums and libraries are unique public gathering spaces with the resources, expertise, and 

infrastructure to enhance community development initiatives. Many have built strong and trusted 

community relationships with their public. Connecting museum and library leaders with local 

officials, chambers of commerce, foundations, and other private and public sector leaders can 

bring valuable perspectives and institutional knowledge to public and private sector decision 

making and problem solving. 
15

Activities and evidence of progress: 

• Develop a taxonomy to categorize projects, to better identify target populations served 

and substantive areas of work, and to highlight the value of IMLS-funded investments 

and their intersection with other complementary public and private sector efforts.

o By FY13, 70 percent of IMLS grants from FY2005 through 2011 will be

categorized by project taxonomy and available on the IMLS web site.

• Modify grant forms to require current and future grantees to align applications to this 

taxonomy so that IMLS project data can readily demonstrate project impact.

o By FY14, 90 percent of IMLS grants will identify their projects according the 

standardized project taxonomy.

• Develop research products targeted to public and private sector leaders, to identify 

successful practices and partnerships among museums, libraries, and public and private 

partners that address key national issues and highlight the value of museum and library 

participation in community-wide services.

• Promote research and best practice assessments that demonstrate to state and local policy 

makers in coordination with stakeholders in the museums and library sectors the key 

roles that museums and libraries play.

o By FY16, more than 70 percent of database users will report satisfaction with the 

taxonomy and the availability of IMLS grant information for addressing their 

needs.

• Increase information sharing with city, county, and state officials as well as private 

funders and the general public about results of IMLS-funded projects that address 

community-wide issues.

• Assess progress made and develop recommendations for the following five years.
16

IMLS is proud to be partnering 

with seven national and 

international organizations as 

sponsors of the Digging into 

Data Challenge. As the world 

becomes increasingly digital, 

new techniques will be needed 

to search, analyze, and 

understand these everyday 

materials. Digging into Data 

challenges the research 

community to help create the 

new research infrastructure for 

21st century scholarship.

Connecting to Collections 

In response to the alarming

findings of the Heritage Health 

Index, the IMLS launched 

Connecting to Collections, a 

call to action to help libraries, 

museums and archives:

• Give priority to providing safe 

conditions for the collections 

they hold in trust.

• Develop emergency plans.

• Hold staff responsible for 

collections care.

• Encourage private and 

public sector support for 

collections care.

Strategic Goal #3

IMLS supports exemplary stewardship of museum and library collections and 

promotes the use of technology to facilitate discovery of knowledge and 

cultural heritage.

Access to museum and library collections helps to fuel innovation, inspire the development of 

new knowledge, and increase global understanding. Too many of the collections held in U.S. 

libraries and museums are at risk and in need of proper storage, emergency planning, and 

conservation treatment. IMLS is helping these institutions to embrace new opportunities to 

digitize and share their collections and develop new standards and protocols to preserve and 

provide access to “born digital” data and objects. 

The collections held in public trust in our museums, 

libraries, and archives are our national memory; they 

connect us to the cultural, artistic, historical, natural, and 

scientific understandings that constitute our heritage. To 

provide wide accessibility to these materials, high standards 

and best practices in collections management and 

preservation are essential. 

Many of the tangible collections in the nation’s museums 

and libraries need treatment, proper housing, and 

documentation. Libraries, museums, and archives lack 

sufficient resources to meet these needs. The majority of 

collecting institutions still lack emergency plans and 

trained staff to address disaster preparedness.

Digital formats are increasingly important for producing, 

sharing, and using information and knowledge. Online and 

networked digital information dramatically lowers 

traditional barriers to access and use of content and greatly 

expands the possibilities of who can use it and what they 

can do with it. Digital content, particularly born-digital data 

and information, is at great risk of immediate loss and 

inaccessibility because digital data are increasingly stored 

in highly mutable and extremely fragile formats. If 

humankind is to reap the full benefit of these resources, 

there is a great need for collecting institutions to better 

manage and preserve them.

Libraries and museums use their collections to inspire 

learning; foster creativity and innovation; and connect 

people to their collective past, present, and future.

Professional management, conservation, and access 

mechanisms are essential to our national and individual 

potential for education, innovation, economic advantage,

civic participation, and social well-being. 
17

IMLS provides federal leadership to share and promote effective practices across states and other 

cooperating entities. IMLS programs help to leverage local dollars and strengthen partnerships to 

support management, care, and access to collections and to the information, meaning, and 

content they represent. IMLS has made significant investments over the past five years through 

its grant programs, national initiatives, and partnerships to foster best practices in collections 

management, preservation, and digitization. Having gained this expertise, IMLS must develop 

effective regional and national strategies for collections care and access to content. 

Objective 3.1: Support the care and management of the nation’s collections, 

both material and living, to expand and sustain access for current and future 

generations.

According to the 2005 Heritage Health Index, “More than 4.8 billion artifacts are held in public 

trust by more than 30,000 archives, historical societies, libraries, museums, scientific research 

collections, and archaeological repositories in the United States. They are visited more than 2.5 

billion times a year. These artifacts embody the richness and diversity of our heritage. They 

include rare books and manuscripts, photographs, documents, sound recordings, moving images, 

digital materials, art, historic and ethnographic objects, archeological artifacts, and natural 

science specimens.” 

Essential activities of stewardship, preservation, and conservation serve the learning needs of 

current and future publics by making collections widely and safely accessible. Nationwide 

strategies for collections care must facilitate best practices and systematic, holistic, logical 

approaches to the conservation, preservation, and documentation of both tangible and digital 

collections to sustain and improve public access.

Activities and evidence of progress: 

• Raise awareness at local, state, and regional levels regarding the importance of 

collections care and conservation for libraries, archives, and museums.

• Continue to support a comprehensive approach to collections care that includes 

assessment and prioritization, collections management, environmental controls, and 

treatment.

• Building on IMLS’s successful work in its “Connecting to Collections” initiative, support 

the training of cultural heritage professionals who can share knowledge, skills, and 

expertise among museums, libraries, and archives.

o By FY13, IMLS will develop an agency action plan to support training in 

collections care, with measurable objectives.

• Work with relevant organizations to publish and share best practice guidelines for the 

digitization of collections.

• Work with relevant organizations to publish and share guidelines for the digital curation

(management and preservation) of collections.

o By FY13, IMLS and partner organizations will publish and share consensus-based 

guidelines on the digitization and digital curation of collections.

• Sustain and expand funding for the digitization of museum, library, and archive 

collections with an emphasis on the adoption of standardized best practices.
18

o By FY14, 80 percent of digitization applicants will include standardized best 

practices as part of their digitization project proposals. Assess progress made and 

develop recommendations for the subsequent five years.

o By FY16, IMLS will complete an assessment of progress made on digitization, 

digital curation, and staff development objectives, and make recommendations for 

the following five years.

Objective 3.2: Develop and implement a nationwide strategy to expand public 

access to the information, meaning, and content found in museum and library 

collections.

The work of museums and libraries in collections management, preservation, and digitization has 

often been sporadic and disconnected. In digitizing museum collections, in particular, there is a 

gap in standardized policies and practices throughout the field. There is much to be learned from 

the library community and important opportunities for the exchange of knowledge and skill 

among the library, archives, and museum sectors. 

A nationwide strategy will make best use of limited resources, raise public awareness, and create 

a consistent message to support the need for compatible systems to enhance access to 

information, meaning, and other content found in collections.

Activities and evidence of progress: 

• Analyze IMLS-funded statewide planning and implementation grant results to document 

and disseminate findings and replicable practices. 

• Convene statewide implementation grantees to share knowledge, challenges, and best 

practices, and to facilitate regional working groups to continue exchanges.

o By FY14, IMLS will complete analysis and convene state and national 

stakeholders to define the national strategy to further expand access to museum 

and library collections.

• Build stronger communities of practice among museums, libraries, and other entities to 

document and share best practices in collections care and public access.

• Conduct research into the state of museum digitization practices and needs assessment.

• Convene public and private organizations to address global issues relating to digital 

content management and access.

o By FY15, IMLS will publish a nationwide strategy with measurable objectives 

and regional benchmarks for progress in improving the nation’s care for and 

access to museum and library collections.

• Partner with other federal agencies and public and private organizations to expand 

support for museums and libraries in carrying out stewardship to achieve the highest 

standards in care of collections.

• Assess progress made and develop recommendations for the following five years.
19

Creating Digital Communities 

In response to the National 

Broadband Plan’s 

recommendations for

broadband adoption and use, 

IMLS is developing tools to 

help communities raise 

awareness about barriers to 

access and to help community 

leaders develop plans and 

take action so that everyone in 

the community can benefit 

from the economic, civic, and 

educational opportunities 

made possible by broadband 

technologies.

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 

IMLS research brief. People 

with and without access at 

home are going to the library to 

complete school assignments, 

find a job, learn more about 

health and wellness issues, 

access government 

information, and much more.

Strategic Goal #4

IMLS advises the President and Congress on plans, policies, and activities to 

sustain and increase public access to information and ideas through libraries 

and museums

From its founding, our nation has recognized that access to and use of information benefits the 

American public as well as the broader global community by promoting the advancement of 

knowledge, cultural understanding, civic engagement, economic growth, and the general welfare 

of society. Information needs are even more pronounced in the global information economy, 

where creating, accessing, utilizing, sharing, managing, and preserving information and 

knowledge are necessary to enable individuals and communities to achieve their potential and 

participate fully in society. Information policy is developed in a global context; the policies of 

our international colleagues can impact information access in the United States, as our policies 

can have international impacts.

In an economy powered by knowledge, libraries and 

museums play essential roles in ensuring equitable access to 

information. New technologies are changing the ways in 

which people access and use information. Without careful 

attention to the means by which the United States promotes 

equitable access, the foundation of our economy, our 

democracy, and quality of life are at risk.

Although the use of information technology is increasing in 

the United States, we are behind many other nations. The 

government and private sectors face difficult decisions about 

how to create and sustain library, museum, and information 

access. They need data about the library and museum sectors 

as well as analysis that examines public need for and use of 

museum and library services to make strategic policy 

decisions that keep our democracy and economy strong.

The provision of museum, library, and information services is 

affected by a wide range of policy areas, including 

telecommunications, intellectual property, and workforce 

development, and the IMLS actively coordinates with federal 

partners on these issues. To extend and improve the nation’s 

museum, library, and information services, the Museum and 

Library Services Act authorizes IMLS to carry out policy 

research, analysis, and data collection. These activities are 

conducted in ongoing collaboration with national, state, 

regional, and other agencies and organizations. Specifically 

these activities are intended to
20

1. identify national needs for and trends in museum, library, and information services; 

2. measure and report on the impact and effectiveness of museum, library, and information 

services throughout the United States, including the impact of federal programs 

authorized under this Act; 

3. identify best practices; and 

4. develop plans to improve museum, library, and information services of the United States 

and to strengthen national, state, local, regional, and international communications and 

cooperative networks.

Further, the Act provides the IMLS director with responsibility for developing and implementing

policy to ensure the availability of museum, library, and information services adequate to meet 

the essential information, education, research, economic, cultural, and civic needs of the people 

of the United States. 

In carrying out these responsibilities, the Director advises the President, Congress, and other 

federal agencies and offices on museum, library, and information services to ensure the creation, 

preservation, organization, and dissemination of knowledge; engages federal, state, and local 

governmental agencies and private entities in assessing the museum, library, and information 

services needs of the people of the United States; coordinates the development of plans, policies, 

and activities to meet such needs effectively; carries out programs of research and development, 

data collection, and financial assistance to extend and improve the museum, library, and 

information services of the people of the United States; and ensures that museum, library, and 

information services are fully integrated into the information and education infrastructures of the 

United States. 

Objective 4.1: Promote federal policies that improve access to information 

services for underserved communities and help to remove barriers that 

prevent individuals from using these services effectively.

Ready access to information services makes it easier for people to succeed in school, find a job, 

obtain government services and health information, and create new ways to access and use 

information. Information access affects every aspect of society, from public safety and cultural 

understanding to health care. It makes businesses more innovative, increases the quality of civic 

life, and empowers the public to participate fully and meaningfully in public decision making.

The federal government has long recognized the public service role of museums and libraries in 

providing equitable and convenient access to information, paying particular attention to 

underserved communities. Most recently, Congress directed the Federal Communications

Commission to develop a National Broadband Plan (NBP) to ensure that every American has 

"access to broadband capability." Issued in March 2010, the NBP noted the significant individual 

and societal costs of "digital exclusion" and warned that without action, these costs would grow. 

The plan recommended that IMLS take the lead in supporting libraries and community-based 

organizations as they improve digital inclusiveness.
21

IMLS must ensure that underserved communities and individuals with special needs have 

equitable and seamless access to information. Equitable access to information is a key factor in 

ensuring success for all members of society. 

Activities and evidence of progress: 

• Survey challenges in access to information for underserved communities and differently

abled individuals.

o By FY13, IMLS will develop and report baseline measures for assessing 

challenges to information access for underserved communities and differently 

abled individuals.

o By FY14, IMLS will develop an action plan to create and promote programs and 

initiatives that remove barriers to information access for target populations.

• Evaluate the effectiveness of programs in removing barriers to information access for 

underserved communities and differently abled individuals.

o By FY15, IMLS will produce follow-up reports monitoring change in information 

access for underserved communities and differently abled individuals.

o By FY16, IMLS will complete initial evaluation of the effectiveness of strategies 

and develop recommendations for the following five years.

• Advise the President, Congress, and other federal agencies and encourage collaboration 

on the federal level to promote fully equitable public access to information.

Objective 4.2: Identify trends and provide consistent and reliable data on 

museum and library services and use to ensure that federal policy makers, 

public and private sector leaders, and the public are aware of the critical role 

that libraries and museums play in our democratic society.

IMLS is the federal source for reliable, timely information about characteristics of the library and 

museum sectors and their use. In 2007, responsibility for collecting and managing the longstanding federal public and state library statistics program was transferred to IMLS. There is no 

reliable source for information about the characteristics of the museum sector, and IMLS is 

exploring the feasibility of collecting data about the U.S. museum sector.

In a short time, IMLS has taken a leadership role in providing data and analysis to inform policy 

makers at all levels. IMLS has released analysis in the following areas: 

• Impacts of Budget Cuts on State Libraries 

• Distribution of Public Access Broadband by Rural, Suburban, and Urban Areas

• Demographics of Public Library Computer Users 

• Ten Years of Increasing Public Demand for Library Services and Decreasing Budgets 

• Characteristics of Public Funding for Museums in the United States
22

Museums Count 

IMLS is developing a webbased census of museums in 

the United States, called 

“Museums Count.” This project 

will produce an online, publicly 

available and searchable 

database updated on an 

annual basis. 

“Museums Count” will enable 

the field to make statements 

about the capacity of 

museums in a city, state, or 

region and establish the 

known universe of institutions 

to inform museum research at 

the local and national level.

The findings of these analyses have been used by Congress, 

federal agencies (including the U.S. Departments of Labor, 

Health and Human Services, Education, and Commerce),

foundations (including the Pew Research Center, the Bill and 

Melinda Gates Foundation, and the Mac Arthur Foundation), 

and local communities to deepen their knowledge and inform

their investments regarding libraries and museums.

IMLS is committed to providing robust and accessible 

statistical reporting on the museum and library sector 

that can not only inform agency decision making, but also 

provide a foundation of statistical data for analysis and 

decision making for researchers and leaders in the 

museum and library sectors. 

Activities and evidence of progress: 

• Collect and disseminate data on the public use of 

museum and library resources to identify trends and 

potential gaps in the availability and use of museum 

and library services.

o By the end of FY12, IMLS will issue annual 

reports on the availability of museum and library services and demographics of 

users and nonusers to identify gaps.

o By the end of FY12, IMLS will partner with stakeholders to complete a

comprehensive review of the public and state library statistical collections.

o By the end of FY12, IMLS reports on the rate of library and museum use by 

segments of the U.S. population will be available to the public.

• Increase the timeliness and availability of museum and library statistical reports to the 

public.

o By FY13, IMLS will initiate annual user surveys to assess satisfaction and 

effectiveness of statistical products and reports.

• Develop state and regional reports on service and financial trends in museum and library 

services.

o By FY14, IMLS will broaden current statistical research to include periodic, 

cross-sectional surveys on priority topics.

o By FY14, IMLS will implement annual national, regional, and state reports on the 

state of the museum sector.

• Disseminate IMLS statistical data in a variety of formats to ease accessibility and 

promote use by lay audiences.

o By FY14, all IMLS statistical collections on library and museum services and use 

will be integrated into federal statistical repositories.

o By FY16, IMLS will assess the ability of the agency and other decision makers to 

use the statistical information to make timely, informed decisions and will make 

recommendations for potentially altering the program in the following five years.
23

Objective 4.3: Support and extend a national digital information infrastructure 

that leverages libraries and museums as key partners and providers of 

reliable, persistent, and widely available access to digital information and 

services.

Collaborative, shared, and sustainable solutions will be required to ensure that our nation’s 

digital information and cultural heritage remain persistent and available as resources that support 

the fullest range of information needs. To fully promote greater creativity and exploit 

opportunities for innovation and leadership in learning and workforce development, communities 

and individuals need a robust, reliable, and widely available national digital infrastructure. This 

infrastructure will greatly increase opportunities for discovery, understanding, and creative reuse of information.

Developing such a national digital information infrastructure will require a large supporting 

network of trustworthy cooperating and contributing organizations who share compatible 

missions, values, and commitments to learning, workforce development, and public enrichment 

in an information-based society. Libraries and museums are trusted community anchor 

organizations that have demonstrated a strong commitment to building and maintaining useful 

digital collections and services that support all members of an information society. 

Digital formats are increasingly important for producing, sharing, and using information and 

knowledge. Online and networked digital information dramatically lowers traditional barriers to 

access and use of content and greatly expands the possibilities for who can use it and what they 

can do with it. Digital content, particularly born-digital data and information, is at great risk of 

immediate loss and inaccessibility because digital data are increasingly stored in highly mutable 

and extremely fragile formats. If humankind is to reap the full benefit of these resources, there is 

a great need for collecting institutions to better manage and preserve them.

Activities and evidence of progress: 

• Work with relevant experts to identify necessary components and partners for a national 

digital information infrastructure, identify which parts already exist wholly or partially, 

and identify key gaps.

o By FY13, IMLS will complete an action plan that (1) coordinates with similar 

efforts occurring in the federal government and elsewhere and (2) aligns a share 

of IMLS grant programs in support of development and promotion of a national 

digital infrastructure.

• More closely align and coordinate IMLS activities with external concurrent and 

complementary national and statewide efforts, and continue ongoing engagement with 

activities such as the National Digital Stewardship Alliance, the Interagency Working 

Group on Digital Data, and the Digital Public Library of America.

• Continue to focus relevant grant programs and other activities to emphasize and 

encourage key activities of building and extending a national digital information 

infrastructure.

o By FY16, IMLS will assess progress made and develop recommendations for the 

following five years.
24

Since establishing IMLS’s 

Open Government Plan in April 

2010, the agency has taken 

steps to increase public 

participation in IMLS activities 

through the IMLS UpNext wiki 

on the Future of Museums and 

Libraries, the IMLS Twitter 

feed, the UpNext Blog, and a 

public comment period for the 

Strategic Plan through the 

IdeaScale platform.

Strategic Goal #5

IMLS achieves excellence in public management and performs as a model 

organization through strategic alignment of IMLS resources and prioritization 

of programmatic activities, maximizing value for the American public.

IMLS continues its commitment to improving administrative efficiencies, focusing on its highquality stewardship of public funds and outstanding public service. 

Traditionally, IMLS’s grant making activities have 

been largely informed by trends in the library and 

museum sectors. The agency has begun to use social 

media and other “citizen-science-model” strategies to 

gather information on need, focusing on the services 

for which libraries, museums, and archives have a 

proven interest and positive track record. Our newly 

strengthened Office of Planning, Research and 

Evaluation remains committed to the formal collection 

of nonpartisan, evidence-based data to inform grantmaking priorities. Our Office of Strategic Partnerships 

has demonstrated success in identifying productive 

partnerships to strengthen IMLS impact and leverage 

taxpayer dollars.

IMLS has done significant work in promoting the need 

for a 21st century workforce in our libraries and museums. The IMLS workforce is a valuable

asset and critical resource in achieving our goals; and the agency is committed to providing a 

learning environment for all staff that is based on continuous improvement in all our activities.

An expanded emphasis on monitoring and evaluation will further the agency’s ability to 

understand, communicate, and increase the value of its service to the public, and will help 

grantees and future applicants strengthen and disseminate the results of their projects. Through 

efficiency, fiscal accountability, and a strengthened emphasis on impact and transparency, we 

will be well positioned to achieve our goal of excellence in the management of public funding. 

Objective 5.1: Develop an exemplary model of efficient federal grants 

management.

IMLS is one of 26 federal grant-making agencies and is the primary source of federal support for 

the nation’s museums and libraries. Efficient grants management makes better use of federal tax 

dollars, increasing the reach and impact of IMLS-funded activities in museums, archives, and 

libraries. Meeting this goal will further IMLS’s efforts to meet its mission and vision, and serve 

as a basis for achieving all other IMLS goals.
25

Activities and evidence of progress: 

• Conduct process review of grant making across programs to identify efficiencies in IMLS

grant review, grant management, and monitoring processes, and make appropriate 

changes based on the process review.

o By FY14, IMLS will achieve a 40 percent decrease in the time to process an

application from receipt of proposal to decision; by FY16, it will achieve a further 

10 percent decrease.

o By FY14, IMLS will achieve a 15 percent decrease in amount of time staff spend 

processing grant applications; by FY16 it will achieve a further 20 percent

decrease.

• Transition to an enhanced grants management system that will increase performance 

monitoring capability, improve communications with applicants and grantees, fast-track 

grant award processing, promote greater technical and financial stewardship, and reduce 

inefficiencies and costs associated with delayed project implementation and repeated 

project extensions.

o By FY14, IMLS will achieve a 20 percent decrease in number of grants that 

receive one or more extensions; by FY16, it will achieve a further 30 percent

decrease.

o By FY14, IMLS will establish baseline measures for grantee satisfaction with 

IMLS’s new grant management information system.

o By FY16, IMLS will achieve a 20 percent increase from baseline grantee 

satisfaction.

o Develop online training for grantee reporting. 

o By FY13, IMLS will develop online training webinars for posting to the IMLS 

web site. 

o By FY13, IMLS will develop customer satisfaction surveys to accompany 

training webinars and collect baseline measures for grantee satisfaction.

o By FY14, IMLS will have established a customer satisfaction baseline for online 

report training and will establish new targets for succeeding years.

Objective 5.2: Cultivate a culture of planning, evaluation, and evidence-based 

practice to maximize the impact of public investments.

The use of accurate and reliable data plays a critical role in increasing the transparency and 

efficiency of IMLS programs and in enhancing the agency’s capacity to gauge program 

effectiveness. Sharing data with the public and other federal agencies helps to achieve better 

outcomes for the American public through more accurate evaluation of policy options, improved 

stewardship of taxpayer dollars, reduced paperwork burdens, and more coordinated delivery of 

public services. As advances in technology enhance tools for data sharing, IMLS will seek new 

approaches for identifying and sharing high-value data responsibly and appropriately to inform 

public policy decisions and improve program effectiveness.

Activities and evidence of progress: 

• Establish a data release and review policy.

• Use social media to increase the level and quality of dialogue with IMLS.

• Increase transparency and accessibility of IMLS data.
26

o By FY14, IMLS will implement an interactive online clearinghouse for sharing 

planning and evaluation information for museum and library services.

o By FY15, IMLS will conduct annual stakeholder/user satisfaction assessments 

through the planning and evaluation clearinghouse.

• Redesign performance reporting forms for discretionary grant programs in a manner that 

limits reporting to outcome measures that align with program priorities and relieves the 

overall reporting burden on grantees.

o By FY13, revised planning and performance monitoring protocols will be 

implemented for 60 percent of the IMLS grant portfolio.

o By FY15, planning and performance monitoring protocols will be implemented 

for 80 percent of the grant portfolio.

o By FY16, planning and performance monitoring protocols will be implemented 

for 100 percent of the grant portfolio.

• Work with state library administrative agencies to develop a robust measurement system 

that tracks state (or local) progress toward the goal(s) of their five-year plans in alignment 

with IMLS’s strategic plan, identifies effective and ineffective strategies, and ensures that 

cross-state data are standardized.

o By FY12, 100 percent of the business plan for Grants to States performance 

monitoring will be complete.

o By FY14, 100 percent of all states and jurisdictions will participate in 

implementing new performance reporting protocols.

o By FY15, 100 percent of first annual reports will be completed using new 

performance reporting protocols with the establishment of baseline measures for 

guiding future assessments.

o By FY16, 100 percent of three-year reports will be completed using new 

performance reporting protocols.

o By FY16, a recommendations and best practices report will be developed for the

forthcoming five years.

Objective 5.3: Promote greater transparency and accountability of IMLS 

operations.

Public trust demands transparency and accountability to ensure federal dollars are wisely 

invested. At each stage in the award process (pre- to post-award), transparency and 

accountability are essential. The evaluation and analysis of each program, including individual 

grants, are critical components in ensuring agency goals and programmatic objectives are 

achieved. The value of this work is directly tied to the manner and extent to which it is shared 

with the public.

Activities and evidence of progress: 

• Develop a robust plan for sharing grant information with the public, including 

applications, grant performance reporting, and post-award analysis of success in meeting 

objectives.

o By FY14, at least 70 percent of reports from FY08 to FY13 will be posted on the 

IMLS web site; by FY16, 100 percent of reports from FY08 to FY15 will be

posted on the IMLS web site. 
27

• Initiate regular applicant and grantee customer satisfaction surveys with application and 

reporting guidelines.

o By FY14, IMLS will establish a baseline measure of applicant and grantee 

satisfaction with IMLS grant-making processes; by FY16, IMLS will achieve at 

least a 20 percent increase in applicant and grantee satisfaction with IMLS grantmaking processes.

• Develop and implement an improved, regularized customer satisfaction survey process 

for reviewers to monitor the efficiency of the review process and identify ways to 

improve IMLS grant making.

o By FY14, IMLS will a establish baseline measure of satisfaction for reviewers to 

report satisfaction with IMLS grant-making processes; by FY16, IMLS will 

achieve at least a 10 percent increase in reviewer satisfaction with IMLS grantmaking processes.

Objective 5.4: Encourage and promote an engaged and energized IMLS 

workforce.

IMLS’s greatest assets in moving forward successfully with this strategic plan are its employees. 

They are dedicated to the agency’s mission, its constituents, and the impact that federal dollars 

can have on the American public through support of museums and libraries. IMLS can 

successfully support its mission by maintaining and improving the IMLS work environment; 

empowering, engaging and energizing staff; and ensuring that they have the skills, knowledge,

and resources to carry out the agency’s goals.

Activities and evidence of progress: 

• Assess the success of IMLS staff in supporting the strategic plan goals; ensure staff 

resources are strategically aligned to IMLS priorities to maximize the use of federal 

dollars. 

• Increase use of IMLS staff library, museum, archive, and grant expertise to further 

excellence in agency operations.

• Develop agency-wide training that is tied to agency mission and goals.

o By FY12, IMLS will identify high-priority training areas for all IMLS job 

classifications.

o By FY14, IMLS will have at least 90 percent employee participation in IMLSmandated high-priority trainings.

• Centralize IMLS training priorities to promote greater personal learning and 

development, increasing our subject matter experts to further the agency’s mission and 

goals.

o By FY12, IMLS will complete a plan with measurable objectives for engagement 

of the IMLS workforce.

o By FY14, at least 60 percent of the employee engagement plan’s objectives will 

have been achieved.

o By FY16, at least 80 percent of the employee engagement plan’s objectives will 

have been achieved.
28

Assessment Methodology 

This plan presents two evaluation approaches. First, there are formative evaluation strategies. 

These are targeted at improving the effectiveness of adopted strategies and actions based on 

continued assessments of a series of sequenced short-term and long-term objectives. Formative 

evaluations do not intend to assess whether a strategy is worthwhile. Rather, they seek ways to 

increase the effectiveness of any selected strategy. Summative evaluation approaches are 

targeted at accountability. They seek to judge whether a strategy, goal, or objective is worthwhile 

to continue, and if not, whether IMLS should alternatively withdraw or reduce resources devoted 

to it. As a general rule, formative evaluation dominates the assessments done in the early and 

middle parts of five-year strategic plans. By contrast, summative evaluation approaches 

dominate the latter part of the strategic plan, when IMLS decision makers will be faced with 

developing the next strategic plan using evidence from the strategies adopted here to identify 

what should be expanded, sustained, decreased, or withdrawn.

There is one particular challenge in incorporating this methodology into this strategic plan that 

deserves explicit mention. At present, IMLS does not have enough information to set measurable 

baselines in supplementing targeted short-term and long-term objectives for the goals articulated 

here. Instead, the planned approach is to continuously build the capacity of the agency and its 

partners to use performance-based results management to build such a capacity in the next five 

years. The approach adopted in this plan—conduct baseline research, communicate, align lessons 

to grant making, build capacities to successfully implement grant-making (and other) 

institutional efforts to achieve identified ends, and continued reassessment and adaptation—will 

work only if there are measurable objectives with metrics in place.

The logic of the strategic plan is to develop focused business plans for targeted grant programs 

and agency initiatives and partnerships that include measurable short-term and long-term 

objectives scaled to grant-making processes and reporting. With the transition from a business 

plan to grant making, attention turns critically to application of focused metrics that align results 

in performance of grantee projects with the desired results of IMLS programs, partnerships, 

initiatives, and other organizational efforts.
29

Appendix A. IMLS Organizational Chart
30

Appendix B. Strategic Planning Phases

The strategic planning team took several steps to complete this plan. The information in each 

phase was collected from a variety of sources.

Table 1: Strategic Planning Phases 

Phase Description

1. Environmental 

Assessment (Internal 

stakeholder’s 

perspective)

The first step in the developmental process was to assess the external 

environment in which IMLS operates. This assessment included an 

interview with the IMLS director and three focus groups with the 

IMLS leadership team to examine the Political, Economic, Social, 

and Technological (commonly called a “PEST analysis”) issues that 

are having an impact on IMLS (now and in the future). The analysis 

of the organizational context for IMLS included an examination of 

external factors as well as internal factors. In preparation for the 

interview and focus groups, carefully constructed protocols were 

reviewed and approved by the IMLS leadership team. Following the 

interview and focus groups, a detailed thematic analysis was 

conducted and reviewed by IMLS.

2. Environmental 

Assessment (External 

perspective)

Following the analysis and compilation of the PEST data, a meeting 

was held on June 13, 2011, with the National Museum and Library 

Services Board (NMLSB) members. The board members were 

provided a copy of the PEST thematic analysis in advance of the 

meeting and asked to review the data. During the meeting, board 

members validated the data and offered recommendations for 

clarifying information. The board members also participated in a 

visioning exercise in which they crafted descriptions of what a 

successful IMLS would “look like” in approximately 10 years.

Immediately following the NMLSB meeting, an updated 

environmental scan document was presented to members of the 

library and museum public. This meeting was an open invitation to 

all members of the public and was attended by approximately 75 

attendees. Audience members were encouraged to provide 

comments on the PEST data and then were led through a visioning 

exercise similar to the one that NMLSB members had participated in 

earlier that day.
31

Phase Description

3. Strategic Planning 

Workshop

An intensive strategic planning workshop was held on July 5, 6, and 

8, 2011, in Washington, DC. Twelve IMLS staff members and two

NMLSB members participated in the workshop. They examined the 

data from the environmental scan and from the public comment 

meetings (e.g., the vision statements crafted by the public attendees 

and the NMLSB). Participants also reviewed lists of IMLS 

stakeholders and mandates. After these data were reviewed, the team 

participated in a drawing exercise to help them visualize what an 

ideally successful IMLS of the future might look like, given all of 

the information they had reviewed so far. 

Next, participants conducted a “SWOT analysis” to capture internal 

strengths and weaknesses as well as external opportunities and 

threats. Many of the external opportunities and threats were 

generated by incorporating data from the environmental scan. The 

information from the SWOT analysis was then organized into a twoby-two matrix that facilitated paring of external and internal factors 

in the four quadrants of the matrix. For example, in the “future 

quadrant,” workshop participants considered the intersection of 

external opportunities with internal strengths. Essentially, they 

considered the question, “which of our internal strengths could we 

leverage in order to capitalize on an external opportunity?”

Once these pairings were identified, strategic questions were 

formulated. The answers to these strategic questions formed the 

basis for the goals and objectives that IMLS would need to pursue in 

order to achieve its mission and vision. Further refinement of IMLS 

goals and objectives was conducted by IMLS planners in the weeks 

that followed the workshop. The workshop concluded by crafting an 

IMLS mission and vision statement using interactive activities that 

helped participants identify the most essential images that must be 

present in these statements.

4. Public Comment 

Period

Members of the public were solicited to provide feedback on the 

goals that IMLS created in the strategic planning workshop. They 

were given the opportunity to contribute and vote on ideas to 

provide a fresh perspective on the goals that would ultimately affect 

their organizations and work. This process was completed with the 

IdeaScale social networking tool.
32

Phase Description

5. Strategic Map 

Development

Following the workshop, the IMLS team took the initial goals and 

objectives and created “strategic maps” that identified the proper 

sequencing of activities and objectives to achieve the higher-level 

goals. This was done by identifying a goal hierarchy and by 

considering the resources, including time necessary to achieve each 

goal. Underlying each strategic map is an implicit “theory of 

change” that reflects the mechanisms of cause and effect that IMLS 

intends to employ to attain its goals and objectives. Development of 

the strategic maps also facilitated the refinement of the goals and 

objectives developed in the workshop. Content from strategic maps 

is captured in an “Activities and Evidence of Progress” statement 

under each goal.

6. Metrics Development After refinement of the goals and objectives, IMLS identified

metrics and benchmarks by which progress toward and achievement 

of goals and objectives could be gauged.
33

Appendix C. IMLS Mandates

Mandates describe a collection of policies, rules, and legislation that must be taken into account 

by IMLS when making key decisions. These mandates include the legislative requirements that 

were established at the foundation of the organization, as well as changes that occurred as the 

organization matured. The following represents a sample of the principle mandates that were 

identified during the strategic planning process; however, there is clear recognition that many 

other mandates may affect the organization at different times. 

Table 2: Formal Mandates 

Source Formal Mandate Purpose

U.S. Code Museum and Library Services 

Act (1996, 2003, 2010) 

Authorization for IMLS and its 

activities. General provisions 

(information policy), the Library 

Services and Technology Act, Museum 

Services Act 

U.S. Code National Museum for African 

American History and Culture 

Act 

Influences IMLS programs and policies 

U.S. Code The National Foundation on the 

Arts and Humanities Act 

Established the IMLS within the 

National Foundation on the Arts and 

Humanities 

U.S. Congress E-Government Act Establishes standards for management 

and promotion of electronic government 

services and processes 

Executive Branch Open Government Directive Specifies principles of transparency, 

openness, participation, and 

collaboration between the 

U.S. government and U.S. citizens 

U.S. Code GPRA (Government 

Performance and Results Act)

1993, 2010 

Requires federal agencies to establish 

standards measuring their performance 

and effectiveness

U.S. Code Federal Financial Management 

Improvement Act of 1996

To advance federal financial 

management by ensuring that federal 

financial management systems provide 

accurate, reliable, and timely financial 

management information to the 

government’s managers.

U.S. Code Federal Information Security 

Management Act

Provides a comprehensive framework 

for ensuring the effectiveness of 

information security controls over 

information resources that support 

federal operations and assets
34

Source Formal Mandate Purpose

Office of Personnel 

Management

HCAAF (Human Capital 

Assessment and Accountability 

Framework) 

Strategic human capital management 

agenda to ensure agency mission 

requirements drive all human resource 

activity

Office of Management 

and Budget (OMB)

OMB Circular A130 U.S. government information policy 
35

Appendix D: Public Engagement in the IMLS Strategic 

Planning Process

IMLS employed a social media instrument, IdeaScale, to both increase engagement and obtain 

focused, effective feedback from the public regarding the critical core component of its strategic 

plan: the IMLS strategic goals. IdeaScale is an online tool used by researchers to structure 

discussions that provide feedback (ideas) on specific topics. Data can be collected regarding the 

number of ideas posted by users about a topic, the number of additional users who comment on 

the ideas, as well as the number of users who vote positively or negatively on the topic and ideas.

The public comment period on the IMLS goals was from July 15 until August 18, 2011. 

Comments received during the first two weeks are analyzed below; during this period, 125 ideas 

were submitted with 528 comments.

To provide the public with information about the IMLS strategic plan under development, the 

five strategic goals developed in the July workshop were listed in IdeaScale as “Campaign” 

headings and the strategic questions corresponding to each goal were included to prompt public 

response. In addition, a sixth open-ended question, “Have an idea that doesn’t fit?” was asked in 

order to generate input on topics not covered in the goals. The strategic goals and questions were 

listed as follows:

Campaign 1 – Promote effective public access to physical and digital content.

Corresponds to Strategic Question 1 – How can IMLS leverage its resources, position, 

reputation, and relationships to promote effective public access to physical and digital 

content?

Campaign 2 – Promote policies that sustain information access for the American public.

Corresponds to Strategic Question 2 – How can IMLS leverage its resources, position, 

reputation, and relationships to promote information services policies that sustain access to 

the American public?

Campaign 3 – Support lifelong learning for a competitive workforce and engaged 

public.

Corresponds to Strategic Question 3 – How can IMLS leverage its resources, position, 

reputation, and relationships to support learners throughout their lifetime in order to produce 

a competitive workforce and an engaged public?

Campaign 4 – Promote museums and libraries as community anchor institutions.

Corresponds to Strategic Question 4 – How can IMLS leverage its resources, position, 

reputation, and relationships to help museums and libraries strengthen their roles as 

community anchor institutions to enhance the vibrancy and sustainability of their 

communities?

Campaign 5 – Model excellence in public management.

Corresponds to Strategic Question 5 – How can IMLS model excellence in public 

management and effectively align and leverage its resources to maximize the value of 

taxpayer investments?

Campaign 6 – Have an idea that doesn’t fit?
36

The responses to these questions generated an Excel spreadsheet listing responses (“Ideas”) to 

each question. All generated Ideas were then commented and voted on by other public users of 

the instrument. Using the Excel output file, the top 20 comments and suggestions (Ideas) for 

each goal were reviewed. These ideas and the workshop goals used in the IdeaScale effort were 

then aligned to refined versions of the workshop goals that had been developed by IMLS in 

parallel to the IdeaScale process. A high-level analysis of the responses received for each 

workshop goal is presented below. The final version of each goal, flagged as “IMLS Goal” and 

printed in italics, is also given. The topics listed under each goal are the general themes 

expressed by the user-generated ideas. These themes may be too specific to incorporate into the 

final strategic plan, but they provide insight into the concerns and subjects of public interest.

Campaign 1 – Promote effective public access to physical and digital content.

IMLS Goal: U.S. libraries and museums care for collections and use the power of technology to 

create and share digital content.

• Number of ideas generated by this goal: 37

• Number of ideas voted in the top 20: 3

• Topics of these ideas:

o Preservation

o Address the unique needs of each state

o Develop and expand information infrastructure

Campaign 2 – Promote policies that sustain information access for the American public.

IMLS Goal: U.S. policies sustain and increase public access to information and ideas.

• Number of ideas generated by this goal: 8

• Number of ideas voted in the top 20: 3

• Topics of these ideas:

o Raise awareness of national issues

o Promote legislation that preserves access to information

o Help libraries make transition to downloadable e-content

Campaign 3 – Support lifelong learning for a competitive workforce and engaged public.

IMLS Goal: The American public has engaging, empowering learning experiences in libraries 

and museums that prepare them to be active, creative, productive, and knowledgeable 

participants in their local communities and our global society.

• Number of ideas generated by this goal: 23

• Number of ideas voted in the top 20: 5

• Topics of these ideas:

o Lifelong learning essential for children becoming lifelong readers

o Promote lifelong learning through information literacy

o Identify and disseminate best practices

o Forge partnerships

o Advocate school library programs
37

Note: This goal generated the most top 20 votes and the most ideas, reflecting a high level of 

public interest.

Campaign 4 – Promote museums and libraries as community anchor institutions.

IMLS Goal: U.S. museums and libraries are strong community anchors that enhance civic 

leadership, cultural opportunities, and economic vitality.

• Number of ideas generated by this goal: 16

• Number of ideas voted in the top 20: 5

• Topics of these ideas:

o Create a culture of planning and evaluation

o Promote local historical materials

o Identify, disseminate, and promote adoption of best practices

o Advance partnerships with federal agencies

o Build the capacity of the museum and library workforce

Campaign 5 – Model excellence in public management.

IMLS Goal: Achieve excellence in management by strategically aligning IMLS’s grant making, 

research capacity, program development and evaluation, data collection, policy leadership, and 

partnerships to create value for the American public.

• Number of ideas generated by this goal: 16

• Number of ideas voted in the top 20: 2

• Topics of these ideas:

o Streamline the grants management process

o Promote training and communication to create collaborative culture

Further analysis of the IdeaScale results revealed some consistent themes, though the user

responses may have expressed common thoughts with different phrasing. Below are the 

percentages of IdeaScale users who voted for the mentioned themes.

Percent of Users Theme

15 Funding or providing grant monies for museums and 

libraries 

8 Developing partnerships and collaboration

7 Supporting the development and growth of collections

4 Providing for the preservation of materials 

3 Children – specifically, promoting literacy in children or 

investing in school libraries

All of these themes are covered in the final Strategic Plan at the goal, objective, or 

implementation strategy level. It is interesting to note users’ focus on funding and children.

Achieving excellence in grant making is covered by strategic goal 5, but users clearly desire 

more funding for their programs. Providing children with opportunities to learn through libraries 

is a major concern for users. This theme is mentioned three times when evaluating the top 20 
38

Ideas and 3 percent voted positively on this topic overall. The final version of strategic goal 1 

subsumes this theme in its focus on providing learning experiences in libraries and museums.