February 2010

Fiscal Year 2011 Appropriations Request 

to the United States Congress

C o n n e c t i n g P e o p l e t o I n f o r m a t i o n a n d I d e a s
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Introduction: Connecting People to Information and Ideas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Message from the Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

About the Institute of Museum and Library Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

The State of Museums and Libraries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

IMLS Supports Libraries and Museums in Their Vital Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

IMLS Performance Goals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Summary of Appropriations Request . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Museum Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

African American Museum Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Library Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Policy, Research, Program Evaluation, and Statistics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Institute of Museum and Library Services Administration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Table 1: IMLS Appropriations History 2001-2011 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Detailed Program Descriptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Museum Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Museums for America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

21st Century Museum Professionals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Conservation Project Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Native American/Native Hawaiian Museum Services Grants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Museum Grants for African American History and Culture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Museum Assessment Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Conservation Assessment Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Library Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Grants to State Library Agencies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Table 2: State Allotments for FYs 2005–2011 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Native American/Native Hawaiian Library Services Grants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

National Leadership Grants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Research, Statistics, and Program Evaluation to Inform Policy and Practice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

National Study to Examine the Impact of Access to Computers in Public Libraries . . . . . . . . . . 25

Public Library and State Library Data Collection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

The Future of Museums and Libraries Discussion Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Libraries to the Rescue Podcast Series . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Museum Public Finance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Partnership for a Nation of Learners: Joining Forces, Creating Value . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Data Notes and Policy Briefs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Service Trends in Public Libraries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Program Evaluation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Contents
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Special Projects and Initiatives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

21st Century Skills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Connecting to Collections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

National Book Festival Pavilion of the States . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

National Medals for Museum and Library Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

WebWise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

IMLS Administration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Budget and Performance Integration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Strategic Human Resources Management .......................................... 34

Information Technology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Grants Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Improved Financial Performance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Salaries and Expenses Request . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Justification of Operating Costs by Object Class . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Table 3: IMLS History of Administration Costs (Amounts in 000s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

FY 2011 Performance Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Sustaining Heritage, Culture, and Knowledge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

Enhancing Learning and Innovation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Building Professional Capacity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Attaining Excellence in Federal Management, Operations, and Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Authorizing Framework . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

The Museum and Library Services Act (MLSA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

General Provisions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

The Library Services and Technology Act . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

The Museum Services Act . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

Reauthorization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

The African American History and Culture Act . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

Contents
Photo courtesy of the Indianapolis Museum of Art

Introduction: Connecting People 

to Information and Ideas
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Introduction

Introduction: Connecting People to Information and Ideas

Message from the Director

Though it has been nearly four years since I was sworn in as Director of the Institute of Museum and Library 

Services (IMLS) and my term is now coming to an end, I continue to marvel daily at the great positive impact 

this small agency has on museums and libraries and the communities they serve. Through grants, convenings, research, publications, and numerous special initiatives, IMLS provides museums and libraries—pillars of our nation’s educational infrastructure—with much-needed resources and leadership. The Institute 

maximizes the benefit of its appropriated funds by leveraging non-federal funds, spurring innovation, and 

inspiring exploration by leaders in the two fields.

In postindustrial America, lifelong learning is fundamental to our nation’s success. For Americans to remain 

competitive we must recognize that formal schooling is only one part of the learning continuum. Museums 

and libraries make knowledge available to millions at little or no cost. They constitute an expansive network 

of public and nonprofit institutions dedicated to realizing the democratic promise of a free flow of information and ideas for the public good. The brilliant variety of libraries and museums that supports learning in 

school, out of school, and from infancy to old age is one of the hallmarks of American education.

Thank you for your continuing support of IMLS and the institutions they serve.

Dr Anne-Imelda M. Radice, Director

Institute of Museum and Library Services
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About the Institute of Museum and Library Services

The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation’s 

123,000 libraries and 17,500 museums. The Institute’s mission is to create strong libraries and museums 

that connect people to information and ideas. It works at the national level and in coordination with state 

and local organizations to sustain heritage, culture, and knowledge; enhance learning and innovation; and 

support professional development.

The State of Museums and Libraries

To perform their vital services, these libraries and museums must be supported by a strong and resilient 

network of public, private, and earned-revenue sources. The continuing economic downturn has eroded that 

support to nearly devastating effect. While museums and libraries are struggling to maintain current services, 

they face the additional challenge of increased public use that invariably results from economic hard times.

Increased Use

Libraries

While there is no national-level study of library-use trends during the recession, IMLS research has shown 

that record numbers of people were using libraries in the decade just prior to its beginning. State-level 

data and anecdotal evidence strongly indicate that library use has risen well beyond even those recordhigh figures.

In December 2009, IMLS released of a new research brief, Service Trends in U.S. Public Libraries, 1997-

2007 (www.imls.gov/pdf/Brief2010_01.pdf). In addition to documenting the important changes public 

libraries have made to address patron needs, the brief also reported on increased library use. The findings, 

based on a comparison of more than 11 years of Public Library Survey data, include the following: 

•	 The availability of internet terminals in public libraries rose sharply between 2000 and 2007, increasing 

by 90 percent on a per capita basis. This dramatic increase is one example of the way U.S. public libraries are expanding their range of services to meet patron demand.

•	 Between 1997 and 2007, per capita visits to public libraries increased nationwide by 19 percent. During the same period, per capita circulation increased by 12 percent. This growth in demand for library 

services occurred even as people increasingly turned to the internet to meet other information needs.

A number of states, however, have conducted their own surveys. The results bear out anecdotal reports of 

increased library use across the country. Selected examples follow:

•	 In Arkansas a study found that in the year-long period ending in March 2009, library use and circulation 

increased at a rate three times larger than the average increase of the previous nine years.

(www.asl.lib.ar.us/news/aug09.pdf)

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•	 A survey by the Kansas Library Association and the State Data Center found that library circulation in 

2008 increased nearly six percent over the previous year. “The most remarkable increases occurred 

during the fourth quarter, which was up 7.8 percent and December, which saw a 19.9 percent increase 

over the previous year.” The same survey also indicated a significant correlation between Kansas City’s 

unemployment rate and the circulation rate at the Kansas City Public Library.

(www.kslib.info/sdc/documents/LibrariesandEconomy.pdf)

•	 A survey in Colorado shed further light on this trend, with ninety percent of public librarian respondents 

noting an increase in requests for assistance with computers and/or job-seeking activities.

(www.lrs.org/documents/fastfacts/277_Libraries_and_Recession.pdf)

Museums

The John Hopkins Nonprofit Listening Post Project published a report, Impact of the 2007-09 Economic Recession on Nonprofit Organizations which identifies several impacts of the recession on a range of nonprofit 

organizations, including museums. This report found that fewer than half the respondents in its nationwide 

sample of museums reported a drop in the total number of patrons served during the period of the recession 

while 35 percent actually reported an increase. Moreover, 21 percent anticipate an increase.

(www.ccss.jhu.edu/pdfs/LP_Communiques/LP_Communique_14.pdf )

Budget Cuts

While increased use creates one pressure on libraries and museums, revenue reduction completes the perfect storm of financial distress.

Libraries

The Chief Officers of State Library Agencies (COSLA) recently conducted a survey of its members and found 

that 77 percent of state library administrative agencies (SLAAs), the entities that administer IMLS’s Grants 

to States funding, experienced budget cuts this fiscal year, ranging from two to fifty percent. Half of the 

SLAAs that responded to the survey anticipate additional cuts in the next fiscal year.

Predictably these actual and expected cuts have led not only to the SLAAs’ diminished ability to sustain basic operations but also to severe reductions in services to libraries in those states and in direct services from 

the SLAAs to the public. The impact of these cuts includes reductions in state aid to libraries, decreases to 

book and subscriptions budgets, closure of regional libraries, furlough days causing closure of libraries to 

the public, reductions in service hours, decreases or elimination of funding for new materials, reduction in 

number of statewide databases for public use, elimination of 24/7 reference service, and less public access 

to computers. Elimination or reduction of other services and programs including family literacy and services 

to the blind is anticipated.

Museums

The Johns Hopkins report referenced above frequently notes the unique nature of arts and culture organizations among nonprofits, specifically that they are the exception to the rule that nonprofits are a counter-cyclical force in the economy:

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Introduction: Connecting People to Information and Ideas
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Thanks to the substantial partnership that has been forged between government and the 

nonprofit sector in a wide array of fields, including several that are covered here, nonprofits 

appear to be at least partly buffered from the impact of economic downturns by government 

policies that are designed to be counter-cyclical, i.e., to expand when economic conditions 

deteriorate. This protects nonprofits in many fields from at least some of the effects of such 

downturns. The fact that arts [and culture] organizations, which are least protected by government funding, suffered the sharpest pressures in the recent downturn lends credence to 

this explanation. [Emphasis added.]

The report found that 29 percent of museums surveyed reported severe or very severe financial stress.

(Ninety percent of those respondents characterized it as “very severe.”) Fifty-seven percent of museums surveyed reported a decline in total revenue (measured between September 2008 and March 2009 vs. September 2007 and March 2008), while only 30 percent reported increases. In response to the current economic 

climate, 12 percent of museums responded that unless there is a significant change in the financial environment, they were concerned for the survival of the organization.

To provide a sense of the vulnerability of nonprofits in general, the report quotes one particular museum 

respondent:

“As a small historic site museum in a resort town, we are seeing less and less visitors and they are also 

spending less money. The problem also is that we own 11 buildings and our insurance is HORRIBLY expensive on the coast of North Carolina. We also have extremely high maintenance requirements with these old 

houses and buildings. Our cash flow is very bad at this time and we are constantly stressed about making 

ends meet. Membership dues are down as well as income producing enterprises.” 

(www.ccss.jhu.edu/pdfs/LP_Communiques/LP_Communique_14.pdf)

The Special Role of Libraries in a Recession

American public libraries are first responders in a time of economic uncertainty. With national unemployment 

topping ten percent, many Americans are seeking new technology skills that can help keep them and their 

families afloat in hard times.

A recent study published by the American Library Association finds that:

•	 Libraries serve a unique and important role in providing free access to all types of information and telecommunications services. In 2007, 88 percent of public libraries in high-poverty areas provided access 

to broadband internet and 73 percent of public libraries reported their facilities as being the only source 

of free Internet access in their community. Library staff report an increase in the use of library computers 

and Internet access for job-seeking and e-government purposes.

•	 Public libraries are investing in and improving Internet access speeds, but they still find patron demands 

are growing faster than their ability to increase bandwidth. Nearly 60 percent of libraries report that connection speeds are insufficient to meet needs at some point in the day. Achieving sufficiency of public 

access to computers and the internet is an elusive goal. (www.lita.org/ala/research/initiatives/plftas/

previousstudies/0708/LibrariesConnectCommunities.pdf)

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In July 2009, IMLS released the report, Catalyst for Change: LSTA Grants to States Program Activities and 

the Transformation of Library Services to the Public. (www.imls.gov/pdf/CatalystForChange.pdf ) This report, 

the first analysis of the Institute’s Grants to States program, draws on an analysis of 9,000 state program reports from the Grants to States program between FY 2003 and FY 2006. It identified three broad strategies 

for the use of Grants to States funding: human capital development, library service expansion and information and technology infrastructure. Eighty percent of libraries report helping patrons connect with government information and services online. Cuts in this area will diminish the ability to provide places where 

people can file unemployment forms, apply for food stamps or find other government information or services.

Additional key findings on the state of internet availability in public libraries include the following:

•	 More than 90 percent of public libraries provide technology training such as online job seeking and 

career-related classes, general internet and computer use instruction.

•	 76 percent of public libraries offer free wireless access.

•	 81 percent of public libraries report there are not enough public internet computers to meet patron 

demand some or all of the time; increasingly, libraries are having trouble replacing outdated computer 

workstations due to cost.

Strong libraries bring greatest benefits to those people who need them most: rural, low-income, disabled, 

elderly, societally and economically disadvantaged and other unserved and underserved segments of the 

population. Cuts to libraries hurt people who need help the most.

The Value of Museums in Economically Disadvantaged Areas

The need for similar information about the impact of museum services in the United States is sorely needed 

and IMLS has begun to work with the museum community to identify methodology and data elements that 

could provide more comprehensive information about the sector.

The IMLS study Exhibiting Public Value: Public Funding for Museums in the US (www.imls.gov/pdf/

MuseumPublicFinance.pdf ) documented gaps in the network of public support for the nation’s museums—

and identified concentrations of funding based on geography and type of museum. It found the IMLS is the 

only federal agency that consistently supports all types of museums in every state every year. However, the 

study also documented significant disparity in the number of museums per capita by state which logically results in uneven distribution of museum services. Many communities lack the opportunities museums provide 

for education, civic engagement and economic development. IMLS funding helps to remedy that disparity.

IMLS Supports Libraries and Museums in Their Vital Work

Through grants and information resources, IMLS annually reaches thousands of museums and libraries in 

myriad ways, from providing much-needed technical assistance to small institutions to establishing national 

and replicable models, strengthening state networks, and supporting professional development. Investing 

public dollars in libraries and museums strengthens services in every community in the nation and reaches 

people of all economic levels who are seeking to improve and enrich their lives.

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Introduction: Connecting People to Information and Ideas
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IMLS Performance Goals

The Institute has four major programmatic goals:

Goal One: Sustaining Heritage, Culture, and Knowledge

Our nation’s museums and libraries serve as stewards of our cultural, scientific, and intellectual heritage.

Their collections illustrate, interpret, and embody the great events, ideas, and individuals that contribute 

to America’s history and culture. These irreplaceable resources help us understand, experience, explore, 

discover, and make sense of the world. Through their collections and the services they build around them, 

museums and libraries tell our nation’s story and ensure that knowledge is passed on to future generations.

Unfortunately, collections are highly vulnerable due to deterioration, theft, and natural and man-made disasters. Virtual resources are susceptible not only to physical destruction, but also to loss through technological 

change. Accordingly, through grant programs and special initiatives such as Connecting to Collections, the 

agency focuses on the conservation and preservation of library and museum collections. In addition, IMLS is 

the only source federal source for digitizing library and museum collections; digitized collections have great 

educational impact for all types of learners, from scholars to preschoolers, as well as providing access to 

content without putting the materials at risk.

As a nation we have resolved to be prepared for the next disaster and have made this a call to action, encouraging every citizen, community, and business to have a disaster and continuity of operations plan. The 

cultural community is no exception. Libraries and museums in particular have unique and irreplaceable 

objects and documents. They hold these collections in trust for the American public and need public support 

to preserve and protect them.

Goal Two: Enhancing Learning and Innovation 

Success in today’s society requires information literacy, a spirit of self-reliance, and a strong ability to collaborate, communicate effectively, and solve problems. Combining strengths in traditional learning with robust 

investment in modern communication infrastructures, libraries and museums are well equipped to build the 

skills Americans need in the 21st century. Libraries and museums bring tremendous learning assets to communities engaged in a wide range of concerns, from workforce issues and parenting to cross-cultural understanding and student achievement. As partners in the exercise of civic responsibility, libraries and museums 

are part of larger efforts to weave a stronger community fabric.

It is clear that the ways people search for and use information and in how they communicate with one another and with institutions are changing. Rather than act as gatekeepers to knowledge, museums and libraries can be facilitators and teachers. Increasingly, museums and libraries of the 21st century are not one-way 

channels of information that flow from institution to audience. Rather, they are networks of many channels, 

institution-to-audience, audience-to-institution, among institutions, and among audiences. Digital knowledge 

resources are stimulating exciting social networking opportunities, mashups, and co-creation of learning 

resources. IMLS helps library and museum professionals to innovate with new technology and create new 

services that enable the public to find, use, and interact with library and museum resources in new ways.

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Goal Three: Building Professional Capacity

Training a 21st century library and museum workforce is a top priority for IMLS. Both the library and museum sectors face impending retirements of baby boomers and must attract and recruit new staff. In addition, the rapidly changing environment of the knowledge society, the possibilities provided by new technologies, the increasing diversity of the population, and the need to demonstrate public value and accountability 

require an expanding portfolio of skills for library and museum professionals at every level.

IMLS is the only federal agency that provides for the professional development of the library and museum 

workforce. Given the immense trust the American public places in the library and museum professionals, it 

is imperative for Institute to provide more and enhanced opportunities for the development of professional 

skills.

Goal Four: Attaining Excellence in Federal Management, Operations, and Service

The agency is focusing on its administrative capacity in order to fulfill its statutory grant-making, research, 

evaluation and policy activities. The Institute continues to implement the consolidation of federal responsibilities for library statistics activities and provide advice on library and information policy. The Institute’s 

management is committed to meeting growing expectations to demonstrate accountability. Strategic planning 

and evaluation are a priority at the Institute and will enable it to continue achieving high-quality management and performance.

Introduction

Introduction: Connecting People to Information and Ideas
Photo courtesy of the Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga, TN

Summary of Appropriations Request
Institute of Museum and Library Services - 10

The President’s budget requests $265,869,000 for fiscal year 2011. This amount includes $264,384,000 

for programs and administrative costs authorized by the Museum and Library Services Act (MLSA), which 

includes the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) and the Museum Services Act (MSA), and 

$1,485,000 for a grants program authorized by the African American History and Culture Act (AAHCA).

Overall, this request represents level funding compared to FY 2010. Given the funding decrease many 

libraries and museums have faced this past year, the Administration carefully reviewed the IMLS funding 

portfolio and strategically adjusted fund allocation to meet unmet demand without increasing overall spending. Specifically, in Library Services the President’s budget seeks to move $1,563,000 from the Laura Bush 

21st Century Librarian program to National Leadership Grants for libraries. In Museum Services, this budget 

requests that $1,000,000 be shifted from National Leadership Grants for museums to the 21st Century 

Museum Professionals program. These requests do not signal a decreasing commitment to the programs from 

which funds would be reduced, but a recognition of the exceptional level of unmet demand on the programs 

that would be increased.

Museum Services 

The Administration requests $33,727,000 for the following museum grants and related programs authorized 

under the MSA.

•	 Museums for America 

•	 Museum Assessment Program 

•	 Museum Professionals for the 21st Century 

•	 Conservation Project Support 

•	 Conservation Assessment Program 

•	 Native American and Native Hawaiian Museum Services 

•	 National Leadership Grants for Museums 

African American Museum Services

The Administration requests $1,485,000 for the grant program authorized by the African American History 

and Culture Act 

Library Services

The Administration requests $213,523,000 for the following library grant programs authorized by the LSTA.

•	 Grants to State Library Agencies 

•	 Native American and Native Hawaiian Library Services 

•	 Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program 

•	 National Leadership Grants for Libraries 

Policy, Research, Program Evaluation, and Statistics

The Administration requests $2,081,000 for policy, research, and statistics. Note that in FY 2010, funding 

for these activities were included under Administration.

Summary of 

Appropriations Reques

Summary of Appropriations Request
Institute of Museum and Library Services - 11

Institute of Museum and Library Services Administration 

The Administration requests $15,053,000 for program administration. Funds support personnel compensation and benefits, travel, rent, communications, utilities, printing, equipment and supplies, automated data 

processing, and other administrative services in support of the Institute’s programs and initiatives, including 

the Institute’s administrative costs in the area of policy, research, program evaluation, and statistics.

Summary of 

Appropriations Reques

Summary of Appropriations Request
Institute of Museum and Library Services - 12

Table 1: IMLS Appropriations History 2001-2011

(Budget Authority in 000’s)

Museum and Library 

Services Act (MSLA) FY 2001 FY 2002 FY 2003 FY 2004 FY 2005 FY 2006 FY 2007 FY 2008 FY 2009 FY 2010

FY 2011

Request

MLSA General 

Provisions Sec. 9108

Policy, Research, 

Program Evaluation, 

and Statistics

2,081

Library Services 

Technology Act (LSTA)

Grants to States 148,939 149,014 150,435 157,628 160,704 163,746 163,746 160,885 171,500 172,561 172,561

Native American 

Library Services 2,940 2,941 3,055 3,206 3,472 3,638 3,638 3,574 3,717 4,000 4,000

National Leadership:

Libraries 11,299 11,081 11,009 11,263 12,301 12,375 12,375 12,159 12,437 12,437 14,000

Laura Bush 21st

Century Librarian 9,935 19,882 22,816 23,760 23,760 23,345 24,525 24,525 22,962

SUBTOTAL, LSTA 163,178 163,036 174,434 191,979 199,293 203,519 203,519 199,963 212,179 213,523 213,523

Museum Services 

Act (MSA)

Museums for America 15,483 15,482 15,381 16,342 16,864 17,152 17,152 16,852 19,176 19,176 19,176

Museum Assessment 

Program 449 450 447 447 446 442 442 434 460 460 460

21st Century Museum 

Professionals 992 982 982 965 1,280 1,280 2,280

Conservation Project 

Support 2,305 2,310 2,792 2,782 2,788 2,772 2,772 2,724 3,052 3,052 3,052

Conservation 

Assessment Program 818 820 815 815 813 807 807 793 803 803 803

Native American/

Hawaiian Museum 

Services

843 911 911 895 945 975 975

National Leadership:

Museums 3,542 5,167 5,663 6,891 7,539 7,920 7,920 7,782 7,981 7,981 6,981

SUBTOTAL, MSA 22,597 24,229 25,098 27,277 30,285 30,986 30,986 30,445 33,697 33,727 33,727

African American 

History and Culture Act 

Museum Grants for 

African American 

History and Culture

842 842 827 1,310 1,485 1,485

Agency Wide

Administration 7,295 7,712 9,202 10,389 11,097 11,797 11,858 13,987a 16,917 17,134 15,053a

TOTAL, IMLS 

PROGRAMS AND 

ADMINISTRATION

193,070 194,977 208,734 229,645 240,675 247,144 247,205 245,222 264,103 265,869 265,869

Congressional 

Earmarks 39,251 29,524 35,156 32,595 39,889 0 0 18,285 10,737 16,382 0

TOTAL 232,321 224,501 243,890 262,240 280,564 247,144 247,205 263,507 274,840 282,251 265,869

a In FY2008-2010 the Administration line included funding for activities now listed in the Policy, Research, Program Evaluation, 

and Statistics line.

Summary of 

Appropriations Reques

Summary of Appropriations Request
Photo courtesy of the Multnomah County Library in Portland, OR

Detailed Program Descriptions
Institute of Museum and Library Services - 14

Museums for America 

Fiscal Year Applications Awards Budget Authority

2008 371 154 $16,852,000

2009 433 167 $19,176,000 

2010 506 NA $19,176,000

2011 NA NA $19,176,000 (request)

Program Description

The goal of Museums for America (MFA) grants is to strengthen museums as valuable community assets for 

lifelong learning and cultural preservation.

This program is designed to flexibly meet the full range of statutory purposes of the Museum Services Act—a 

section of the Museum and Library Services Act—by providing grants to increase museums’ ability to serve 

the public more effectively.

Museums for America grants can be used for ongoing museum activities, planning, new programs, or initiatives to upgrade and integrate new technologies. Successful applicants must show evidence of institutional 

strategic planning and the relationship between the requested funding and the institution’s plan. Projects 

must be investments for the future, not one-time activities with short-term institutional impact.

Building Institutional Capacity: Grants fund projects to enhance the capacity of museums to better serve their 

communities, including financial management, personnel administration, planning, policy development, staff 

training and development, and technology enhancements.

Enhancing Collections Stewardship: Grants support activities that museums undertake to maintain and improve the management of museum collections in order to fulfill the museum’s public service mission, including collections security and safety, digitization of collections, registration/cataloguing, and risk assessment.

Engaging Communities: Grants support projects that enable museums to engage museums to share collections, content, and knowledge to support learning with their communities, including classes and presentations, integration of technology, publications, and program/exhibit development.

21st Century Museum Professionals

Fiscal Year Applications Awards Budget Authority

2008 49 8 $965,000

2009 59 7 $1,280,0001

2010 NA NA $1,280,000 

2011 NA NA $2,280,000 (request)

b An additional $500,000 shifted from National Leadership Grants for Museums was used to fund 21MP grants.

Detailed Program 

Descriptions

Detailed Program Descriptions: Museum Services
Institute of Museum and Library Services - 15

Program Description

Museums play a critical role in the education of the U.S. public by preserving America’s rich cultural heritage and spurring innovation, creativity, and learning throughout the lifetime. Museum professionals need 

high levels of knowledge and expertise as they help create public value for both local and national communities. The 21st Century Museum Professionals (21MP) program supports projects that address the preparation 

of museum professionals for the future by updating and expanding their knowledge and skills.

This program supports a range of activities, including professional training and leadership development 

for museum staff at all types of museums, as well as training in all areas of museum operations and best 

practice, including interpretation; collections care; new technologies; museum management; and financial 

management. Funded projects reach broad groups of museum professionals (including paid and unpaid staff) 

and increase their capacity to serve their audiences.

Conservation Project Support

Fiscal Year CPS Apps. CPS Awards AHPG Apps. AHPG Awards Budget Authority

2008 120 39 NA NA $2,724,000 

2009 129 35 202 53 $3,052,000

2010 146 NA 165 NA $3,052,000

2011 NA NA NA NA $3,052,000 (request)

Program Description

CPS grants help museums develop a systematic, institution-wide approach to caring for their living and 

nonliving collections. The Conservation Project Support (CPS) program awards grants to help museums 

identify conservation needs and priorities and perform activities to ensure the safekeeping of their collections. Support is provided for all types of activities, including survey, storage, treatment, and environmental improvement.

Funding in this budget line also supports American Heritage Preservation Grants (AHPG). This grant program, supported in partnership with the Bank of America Foundation, was launched in 2009 and provides 

grants of up to $3,000 for small museums, libraries, and archives to help raise awareness and fund preservation of treasures held in these institutions.

Although all of the Institute’s museum grant programs can fund some component of collections conservation, CPS is the one that is entirely dedicated to that important activity. The Heritage Health Index made 

clear the substantial unmet need in caring for collections, and the CPS applications IMLS receives each 

year bear that out.

Funding in this budget line also supports American Heritage Preservation Grants (AHPG). This grant program, supported in partnership with the Bank of America, was launched in 2009 and provides grants of 

up to $3,000 for small museums, libraries, and archives to help raise awareness and fund preservation of 

treasures held in these institutions.

Detailed Program 

Descriptions

Detailed Program Descriptions: Museum Services
Institute of Museum and Library Services - 16

Native American/Native Hawaiian Museum Services Grants

Fiscal Year Applications Awards Budget Authority

2008 36 20 $895,000

2009 35 22 $945,000c

2010 NA NA $975,000 

2011 NA NA $975,000

c An additional $83,035 shifted from National Leadership Grants for Museums was used to fund Native American/

Native Hawaiian Museum Services grants.

Program Description

Native American/Native Hawaiian Museum Services grants enable Native American tribes, Alaska Native villages or corporations, and organizations that primarily serve Native Hawaiians to benefit their communities 

and audiences through strengthened museum services. Grants are awarded competitively to support programming, professional development, and enhancement of museum services.

Museum Grants for African American History and Culture

Fiscal Year Applications Awards Budget Authority

2008 38 8 $827,000

2009 34 11 $1,310,000 

2010 NA NA $1,485,000 

2011 NA NA $1,485,000

Program Description

Museum Grants for African American History and Culture are intended to build professional capacity in the 

African American museum community. The program provides opportunities for the staff of African American 

museums to gain knowledge and abilities in the areas of management, operations, programming, collections 

care, and other museum skills identified as a high priority by applicants.

Museum Assessment Program

Fiscal Year Number of Participants Budget Authority

2008 100 $434,000

2009 106 $460,000 

2010 NA $460,000 

2011 NA $460,000

The Administration requests $460,000 for the Museum Assessment Program (MAP); the same amount it was 

appropriated in FY 2010.

Detailed Program 

Descriptions

Detailed Program Descriptions: Museum Services
Institute of Museum and Library Services - 17

Program Description 

The purpose of the Museum Assessment Program is to build the capacity of museums to assess their 

strengths and weaknesses and plan for the future. This program is especially targeted to small museums.

IMLS estimates that 75 percent of the nation’s museums identify themselves as small institutions, with annual budgets less than $250,000. MAP is carried out through a cooperative agreement with the American 

Association of Museums (AAM). AAM charges an administrative rate of 34 percent to administer 

this program.

Conservation Assessment Program

Fiscal Year Number of Participants Budget Authority

2008 100 $793,000

2009 102 $803,000 

2010 NA $803,000

2011 NA $803,000

The Administration requests $803,000 for the Conservation Assessment Program (CAP); the same amount it 

was appropriated $803,000 in FY 2010.

Program Description

The Conservation Assessment Program assists small museums in laying the groundwork for effective collections management. The program provides professional assistance in analyzing all aspects of care, assessing 

current practices, and recommending actions to be taken. CAP is carried out through a cooperative agreement with Heritage Preservation (HP). The program complements the Conservation Project Support program 

by providing general conservation surveys or assessments to small museums, which frequently are just starting to address conservation issues. An administrative rate of 30.9 percent is charged by HP to administer 

this program.

Detailed Program 

Descriptions

Detailed Program Descriptions: Museum Services
Institute of Museum and Library Services - 18

Grants to State Library Agencies

Fiscal Year Budget Authority

2008 $160,885,000

2009 $171,500,000 

2010 $172,561,000 

2011 $172,561,000 (request)

Program Description

The Grants to State Library Agencies program provides funds to State Library Administrative Agencies 

(SLAAs) using a population-based formula. State libraries may use the appropriation to support statewide 

initiatives and services; they also may distribute the funds through subgrant competitions or cooperative 

agreements to public, academic, research, school, and special libraries in their state.

Each state has an IMLS-approved five-year plan outlining its programs. These programs support the LSTA 

purposes, which are to

•	 promote improvement in library services in all types of libraries in order to better serve the people of the 

United States,

•	 facilitate access to resources in all types of libraries for the purpose of cultivating an educated and 

informed citizenry, and

•	 encourage resource sharing among all types of libraries for the purpose of achieving economical and efficient delivery of library services to the public.

These programs also support the Grants to State Library Agencies program priorities, which are to

•	 expand services for learning and access to information and educational resources in a variety of formats, 

in all types of libraries, for individuals of all ages;

•	 develop library services that provide all users access to information through local, state, regional, national, and international electronic networks;

•	 provide electronic and other linkages between and among all types of libraries;

•	 develop public and private partnerships with other agencies and community-based organizations;

•	 target library services to individuals of diverse geographic, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds, to 

individuals with disabilities, and to individuals with limited functional literacy or information skills; and

•	 target library and information services to persons having difficulty using a library and to underserved 

urban and rural communities, including children from families with incomes below the poverty line.

Catalyst for Change: LSTA Grants to States Program Activities and the Transformation 

of Library Services to the Public

For more than 50 years the U.S. government has supported the delivery of library services. Few public sector 

agencies in the United States have been as responsive as libraries to the extreme shifts brought on by the 

information age. Rapid changes in information technology resulted in significant reorganization of library 

work and major changes to library service in public, academic, school and research settings. Over this period 

libraries expanded their traditional mission of collecting and circulating physical holdings to one that also 

Detailed Program 

Descriptions

Detailed Program Descriptions: Library Services
Institute of Museum and Library Services - 19

provides access to computers, software, and a host of new services and an ever-increasing pool of digital 

information services.

The IMLS study, Catalyst for Change: LSTA Grants to States Program Activities and the Transformation of 

Library Services to the Public (www.imls.gov/pdf/CatalystForChange.pdf), the first ever examination of the 

government’s largest program of support for U.S. libraries—documents how the Institute’s Grants to States 

program, has helped build the capacity of state library administrative agencies to engage in statewide planning and contribute to meeting national policy goals for library services in the United States. It includes an 

analysis of how public dollars support the development of human capital as well as information infrastructure 

and outreach services. It also includes profiles for each state including interviews with state librarians and 

examples of exemplary projects. The report has been widely disseminated and is being used at the federal, 

state, and local levels to support policy decisions about public funding for libraries.

Detailed Program 

Descriptions

Detailed Program Descriptions: Library Services
Institute of Museum and Library Services - 20

Table 2: State Allotments for FYs 2005–2011

State FY 05 FY 06 FY 07 FY 08 FY 09 FY 10

FY 11

Request

AL $2,556,671 $2,610,549 $2,602,935 $2,545,491 $2,731,363 $2,746,218 $2,747,137

AK $828,563 $887,453 $888,213 $833,016 $982,962 $984,174 $986,632

AZ $3,041,222 $3,150,258 $3,211,248 $3,228,606 $3,489,746 $3,560,969 $3,575,566

AR $1,760,329 $1,820,073 $1,819,735 $1,766,109 $1,936,565 $1,945,548 $1,948,477

CA $16,457,012 $16,557,920 $16,506,165 $16,431,277 $16,882,749 $16,971,056 $16,906,279

CO $2,579,074 $2,642,220 $2,650,213 $2,612,765 $2,834,938 $2,869,234 $2,885,879

CT $2,100,240 $2,154,030 $2,141,681 $2,068,566 $2,232,450 $2,231,803 $2,224,539

DE $904,235 $965,243 $967,412 $912,962 $1,063,319 $1,066,966 $1,068,571

FL $8,172,813 $8,332,483 $8,429,449 $8,425,588 $8,770,131 $8,803,371 $8,818,223

GA $4,433,740 $4,522,400 $4,590,936 $4,622,315 $4,910,851 $4,972,854 $4,995,052

HA $1,101,687 $1,157,565 $1,157,491 $1,101,262 $1,248,881 $1,250,947 $1,248,587

ID $1,150,464 $1,215,563 $1,225,259 $1,180,138 $1,344,632 $1,355,376 $1,358,611

IL $6,214,291 $6,249,722 $6,216,116 $6,133,883 $6,377,081 $6,398,149 $6,347,707

IN $3,317,057 $3,369,822 $3,357,739 $3,292,765 $3,492,642 $3,506,281 $3,499,765

IA $1,858,287 $1,909,822 $1,902,157 $1,840,733 $2,004,495 $2,010,773 $2,000,458

KS $1,759,339 $1,812,456 $1,804,558 $1,745,712 $1,910,501 $1,921,944 $1,917,438

KY $2,384,878 $2,439,668 $2,433,669 $2,374,218 $2,560,096 $2,572,188 $2,573,908

LA $2,554,689 $2,604,141 $2,587,884 $2,409,825 $2,583,026 $2,634,925 $2,652,034

ME $1,123,275 $1,181,762 $1,177,883 $1,116,986 $1,263,871 $1,263,471 $1,258,738

MD $3,008,965 $3,067,643 $3,062,016 $2,988,627 $3,170,413 $3,176,887 $3,182,088

MA $3,423,733 $3,449,395 $3,413,560 $3,346,669 $3,538,949 $3,559,988 $3,574,604

MI $5,059,705 $5,093,053 $5,052,531 $4,941,233 $5,144,483 $5,113,653 $5,056,739

MN $2,807,289 $2,864,372 $2,856,123 $2,793,089 $2,983,922 $2,993,749 $2,991,883

MS $1,830,121 $1,886,927 $1,882,233 $1,809,550 $1,973,794 $1,982,436 $1,975,935

MO $3,096,707 $3,155,054 $3,150,050 $3,087,560 $3,285,694 $3,300,104 $3,308,565

MT $949,157 $1,008,157 $1,007,986 $952,693 $1,104,586 $1,108,783 $1,108,023

NE $1,317,786 $1,372,965 $1,370,433 $1,311,709 $1,466,605 $1,470,441 $1,468,721

NV $1,542,939 $1,634,252 $1,659,300 $1,628,664 $1,817,143 $1,832,430 $1,840,322

NH $1,115,181 $1,173,868 $1,172,791 $1,114,075 $1,263,260 $1,263,185 $1,261,492

NJ $4,412,959 $4,464,364 $4,434,773 $4,343,636 $4,530,162 $4,528,274 $4,502,723

NM $1,378,496 $1,442,371 $1,445,113 $1,392,895 $1,553,194 $1,559,494 $1,562,251

Detailed Program 

Descriptions

Detailed Program Descriptions: Library Services
Institute of Museum and Library Services - 21

Table 2: State Allotments for FYs 2005–2011 (cont’d)

State FY 05 FY 06 FY 07 FY 08 FY 09 FY 10

FY 11

Request

NY $9,146,819 $9,146,249 $9,074,434 $8,955,719 $9,234,002 $9,318,366 $9,258,755

NC $4,309,258 $4,394,254 $4,419,501 $4,401,145 $4,696,435 $4,767,500 $4,798,236

ND $821,842 $878,082 $876,330 $818,116 $963,563 $964,313 $963,966

OH $5,667,969 $5,691,792 $5,643,980 $5,543,747 $5,762,879 $5,770,712 $5,747,255

OK $2,112,874 $2,162,902 $2,158,232 $2,100,996 $2,283,428 $2,294,344 $2,298,626

OR $2,134,437 $2,194,490 $2,199,259 $2,153,972 $2,341,114 $2,359,806 $2,359,475

PA $6,085,045 $6,075,494 $6,034,092 $5,963,310 $6,191,018 $6,197,247 $6,213,530

RI $1,020,285 $1,076,537 $1,069,862 $1,006,294 $1,148,900 $1,145,724 $1,142,362

SC $2,398,034 $2,462,858 $2,469,636 $2,424,418 $2,633,782 $2,665,509 $2,682,399

SD $880,376 $938,791 $937,650 $881,774 $1,032,934 $1,036,430 $1,036,639

TN $3,158,288 $3,220,133 $3,221,670 $3,173,028 $3,409,056 $3,434,523 $3,444,074

TX $10,460,595 $10,597,273 $10,661,984 $10,787,020 $11,275,967 $11,462,047 $11,559,503

UT $1,592,429 $1,658,384 $1,683,421 $1,652,433 $1,852,581 $1,892,820 $1,902,435

VT $815,233 $872,315 $870,330 $812,903 $955,380 $955,355 $952,954

VA $3,851,240 $3,913,359 $3,928,187 $3,872,179 $4,098,498 $4,123,366 $4,140,480

WA $3,288,255 $3,354,800 $3,364,690 $3,328,627 $3,547,224 $3,582,706 $3,605,601

WV $1,349,667 $1,394,138 $1,396,003 $1,333,562 $1,483,211 $1,484,197 $1,478,887

WI $2,992,540 $3,010,271 $3,033,754 $2,962,815 $3,163,009 $3,174,392 $3,162,462

WY $762,355 $821,234 $820,240 $765,437 $911,752 $916,086 $918,936

DC $790,234 $842,132 $838,393 $794,432 $940,769 $942,308 $943,251

Puerto Rico $2,277,522 $2,296,792 $2,318,588 $2,252,920 $2,427,110 $2,432,483 $2,421,651

American 

Samoa $65,977 $65,739 $65,449 $65,133 $85,486 $89,087 $88,811

Northern 

Marianas $75,106 $75,737 $76,310 $76,850 $98,394 $82,818 $82,602

Guam $114,513 $114,960 $115,305 $115,602 $137,960 $139,083 $138,331

U.S. Virgin 

Islands $88,799 $88,342 $87,823 $87,268 $107,966 $108,676 $108,213

9131(b)(3)

(D) Poold 203,404 $203,371 $203,225 $203,040 $265,078 $265,431 $264,619 

TOTAL $160,704,000 $163,746,000 $163,746,000 $160,885,357 $171,500,000 $172,561,000 $172,561,000

d Section 9131(b)(3)(D) of the Museum and Library Services Act directs that funds allotted based on the populations of the Republic 

of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, and the Republic of Palau be used to award grants on a competitive basis 

taking into consideration recommendations from the Pacific Region Educational Laboratory in Hawaii. These three republics, along 

with the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas, are eligible to compete for the 

grants.

Detailed Program 

Descriptions

Detailed Program Descriptions: Library Services
Institute of Museum and Library Services - 22

Native American/Native Hawaiian Library Services Grants

Fiscal Year Applications Awards Budget Authority

2008 241 217 $3,574,000

2009 245 218 $3,717,000 

2010 NA NA $4,000,000 

2011 NA NA $4,000,000

Program Description

Native American/Native Hawaiian Library Services Grants support improved access to library services for 

Native Americans, Alaska Native Villages, and Native Hawaiians. The grants address the information needs 

of people who typically live in remote areas or in communities where technology resources are scarce. These 

funds help extend library hours, purchase educational materials, implement literacy programs, provide 

professional advice to tribal library personnel, provide community service information, and provide Internet 

connections and other services for individuals in these communities. Project categories are as follows:

•	 Basic: grants to approximately 200 American Indian tribes and Alaska Native villages to support a core 

level of library services; also provides funds for library staff education and training and/or professional 

consulting services.

•	 Enhancement: competitive awards to enhance library services in Native communities.

IMLS also funds a competitive award for library services to Native Hawaiians to preserve and increase access 

to and use of Hawaiian languages resources, improve children’s reading skills, and help Native Hawaiians 

acquire literacy, computer, and employment skills.

Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program

Fiscal Year Applications Awards Budget Authority

2008 90 31 $23,345,000

2009 111 33 $24,525,000

2010 98 NA $24,525,000 

2011 NA NA $22,962,000

Program Description

The purpose of the Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program is to build the professional capacity of libraries by improving staff knowledge and skills. The program supports efforts to recruit and educate the next 

generation of librarians and the faculty who will prepare them for careers in library science. It also supports 

grants for research related to library education and library staffing needs, curriculum development, and 

continuing education and training. Since its inception in 2003, this program has funded 3,220 master’s 

degree students, 186 doctoral students, 1,256 pre-professional students, and 26,206 continuing education 

students.

Detailed Program 

Descriptions

Detailed Program Descriptions: Library Services
Institute of Museum and Library Services - 23

Grant program priorities are as follows:

•	 Master’s Programs: Recruit and educate the next generation of librarians. In particular, increase the 

number of students enrolled in nationally accredited graduate library programs preparing for careers in 

school, public, and academic libraries.

•	 Doctoral Programs: Develop faculty to educate the next generation of library professionals and library 

leaders. In particular, increase the number of students enrolled in doctoral programs that will prepare 

them to teach master’s students or to assume positions as library managers and administrators.

•	 Pre-professional Programs: Recruit future librarians. In particular, attract promising junior high, high 

school, or college students to consider careers in librarianship through statewide or regional pilot projects employing recruitment strategies that are cost-effective and measurable.

•	 Research: Provide the library community with information needed to support successful recruitment and 

education of the next generation of librarians. In particular, through funded research, establish baseline 

data and evaluate current programs in library education for their capacity to meet the identified needs.

Also, support the early career development of new faculty members who are likely to become leaders in 

library and information science by supporting innovative research by untenured, tenure-track faculty.

•	 Programs to Build Institutional Capacity: Develop or enhance curricula within graduate schools of library 

and information science.

•	 Continuing Education and Training: Develop or enhance programs of continuing education and training in 

library and information science for librarians and library staff.

In FY 2009, in addition to grants awarded through the competitive process, funding from this budget line 

supported other IMLS activities consistent with the program’s goal of improving library staff knowledge and 

skills. These include the following:

•	 The Salzburg Global Seminar: Connecting to the World’s Collections (See page 30) 

•	 The Connecting to Collections initiative, including statewide planning grants and the C2C Bookshelf 

(page 30)

•	 IMLS’s support of the National Endowment for the Arts’ Big Read program (www.neabigread.org)

•	 IMLS’s support of the National Book Festival and librarians who travel from around the country to attend 

(page 32)

•	 The Pratt Institute’s Bloomsbury Conference on E-Publishing

•	 WebWise (page 32)

Detailed Program 

Descriptions

Detailed Program Descriptions: Library Services
Institute of Museum and Library Services - 24

National Leadership Grants 

Fiscal Year Applications Awards Budget Authority Museums Budget Authority Libraries

2008 183 76 $7,782,000 $12,159,000

2009 193 80 $7,981,000 $12,437,000

2010 NA NA $7,981,000 $12,437,000

2011 NA NA $6,981,000 $14,000,000

Program Description 

National Leadership Grants support leading-edge projects to enhance library and museum services nationwide. They enable libraries and museums to address current problems in creative ways, develop and test 

innovative solutions, and expand the boundaries within which our cultural heritage institutions operate. The 

results of these projects—whether new tools, research, models, services, practices, or alliances—will help 

shape tomorrow’s libraries and museums. Grants are offered in the following categories:

•	 Library and Museum Collaboration grants help libraries and museums to engage with other educational and 

community organizations to support the educational, economic, and social needs of learners of all ages.

Learning communities can be established without regard to geographic boundaries; they can exist virtually or in a particular place or places.

•	 Advancing Digital Resources grants support the creation, use, preservation, and presentation of significant 

digital resources, as well as the development of tools to manage digital assets.

•	 Research grants help libraries and museums increase their impact on learning by supporting research on 

issues of national concern and demonstration of new solutions to real-world problems. Research projects, 

both basic and applied, gather and analyze data in order to investigate specific questions and then evaluate and disseminate the results.

•	 Demonstration grants test potential solutions to problems in library and museum services.

•	 Collaborative Planning grants enable project teams from libraries, museums, and other community organizations to work together on the planning of a project in any of the National Leadership Grant categories.

Included in the table above are the Connecting to Collections Statewide Planning grants described on page 

30.

In FY 2009, National Leadership Grant funding also contributed to IMLS support of the Salzburg Global 

Seminar: Connecting to the World’s Collections, described on page 30.

Detailed Program 

Descriptions

Detailed Program Descriptions: National Leadership Grants
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Section 9106 of the Museum and Library Services Act requires that IMLS analyze trends in library and 

museum service, share best practices and evaluate program. Since the last authorization IMLS has taken 

responsibility for several library data collections, formerly the responsibility of the National Center for Education Statistics, and for functions that had been carried out by the National Commission on Libraries and 

Information Science. These responsibilities are placed within the IMLS Office of Policy, Planning, Research 

and Communications. The strategic approach of the office is to provide data and best practices that demonstrate how libraries and museums can best contribute to education, workforce development, and civic 

engagement. Below are highlights of IMLS research and policy recent work.

National Study to Examine the Impact of Access to Computers in Public Libraries 

IMLS and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation are working with a research team at the University of 

Washington Information School to examine the impact of free access to computers and the Internet on the 

well-being of individuals, families, and communities. The findings of this study will be very useful to the 

development of the National Broadband Plan currently under development by the Federal Communications 

Commission.

Public libraries have provided free access to the Internet and computers since the 1990s. Libraries have 

also provided access to digital resources, databases, networked and virtual services, training, technical assistance, and technology-trained staff. Past decision making regarding public access computer services has 

been based on such measures as number of users and sessions, length of time computers are in use, number 

of unfilled requests, and results of satisfaction surveys. However, little research has examined the relationship between free access to computers and outcomes that benefit individuals, families, and communities.

The research team is documenting the impact of having public access computing resources in public libraries and developing robust and broadly applicable indicators for that impact. The study will examine the impacts on civic engagement, eCommerce, education, eGovernment, health, employment, and social inclusion.

Public Library and State Library Data Collection 

IMLS has taken on administration of the annual state library and public library surveys from the National 

Center for Education Statistics. IMLS has worked cooperatively with the US Census Bureau and collaboratively with data coordinators in each state to establish a program that 1) provides policy-relevant data, 2) 

maintains respect for data providers, and 3) establishes credibility among data users.

IMLS has established efficiencies to allow release of data six months in advance of the release date of previous years. IMLS has also sought ways to improve the data’s relevance. Beginning this year, IMLS is releasing 

data with a foreword that provides an in-depth examination of trends over time, making it possible for much 

more sophisticated use of the data to inform policy and practice.

In addition, IMLS has made the data more valuable by geo-coding it, thereby greatly enhancing the usefulness of data for analysis below the national and state levels. The agency has been providing the library data 

to Data.gov to enable analysis that can combine library data with a host of other government, economic, 

education, and social data.

Detailed Program 

Descriptions

Detailed Program Descriptions: Research, Statistics, and 

Program Evaluation to Inform Policy and Practice
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The Future of Museums and Libraries Discussion Guide

In July 2009, IMLS published The Future of Museums and Libraries: A Discussion Guide (www.imls.gov/pdf/

DiscussionGuide.pdf ) to provide a structure for discussion among museum and library professionals, policy 

makers, funders, users, researchers, and partners. Following on an IMLS-supported National Academy of Sciences meeting, the discussion guide examines three areas in which significant change is anticipated over the 

course of the 21st century: 

•	 The relationship among museums, libraries, and society 

•	 The evolution of the role or roles of museums and libraries 

•	 The future support, environment, and infrastructure for museums and libraries 

The common thread across the publication is the call for museums and libraries to take a proactive and positive stance in facing the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century. The guide is a starting point for 

museums and libraries to use in sparking a dialogue in their own institutions and communities. The intended 

uses of this publication include the following:

•	 Discussing it at staff meetings and board meetings at museums and libraries as part of institutional conversations about future roles and practices

•	 Coordinating conversations across institutions to imagine the future of the museum or library sector as a 

whole

•	 Involving emerging professionals and students in planning for the future at the front end of conversations

•	 Bringing museums and libraries together to identify the ways in which their missions and services 

complement one another and how they can work together to envision the future.

•	 Turning to communities to look at the future of libraries and museums from the outside in, creating 

forums for community discussion of what future needs for cultural preservation and lifelong learning are, 

and actively responding to how communities foresee the kind of organization that will meet those needs

Already, IMLS has done presentations on the discussion guide to museum and library professionals and those 

in academic programs preparing for careers in these fields. The Institute is also about to launch an online 

forum for the greater museum and library community to participate in and expand the discussion.

Libraries to the Rescue Podcast Series

In June 2009, IMLS launched the Libraries to the Rescue series of podcast episodes (www.imls.gov/

resources/podcasts_Jun09.shtm). Library use is on a steady rise and the economic downturn has resulted in 

even greater need for library services. IMLS introduced Libraries to the Rescue to share with libraries steps 

that other libraries have taken to help their communities. The five episodes cover a range of topics, including 

how libraries are increasing access to key information through virtual libraries, the importance of broadband 

access, and new partnerships between libraries and state and federal agencies to help citizens access all 

types of assistance.

Detailed Program 

Descriptions

Detailed Program Descriptions: Research, Statistics, and 

Program Evaluation to Inform Policy and Practice
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Museum Public Finance

The Institute produced and released Exhibiting Public Value: Government Funding for Museums in the United States (www.imls.gov/pdf/MuseumPublicFinance.pdf). The study provides the first major review of public 

finance for the museum sector. It explores public support from federal, state, and local government sources, 

focusing particular attention on levels of financial support and types of delivery mechanisms.

This is one of the few studies to examine U.S. museums as a sector separate from other cultural institutions.

The museum sector includes aquariums, arboretums, botanical gardens, art museums, children’s museums, 

general museums, historic houses and history museums, nature centers, natural history and anthropology 

museums, planetariums, science and technology centers, specialized museums, and zoos.

The national study sought to collect and provide detailed data to inform the development of sound, evidencebased policy. It also provides examples of existing federal-state partnerships in the cultural sector including 

the IMLS Library Grants to States program, support for state arts agencies from the National Endowment for 

the Arts, and support for state humanities councils from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Partnership for a Nation of Learners: Joining Forces, Creating Value

The Corporation for Public Broadcasting and the Institute of Museum and Library Services—recognizing an 

opportunity to leverage our shared public service missions—joined forces on a leadership initiative to help 

public broadcasters, libraries, and museums collaborate on the local level to meet community needs. This 

initiative resulted in the funding of 20 Community Collaboration projects. Partnership for a Nation of Learners: Joining Forces, Creating Value (www.imls.gov/pdf/PNLReport.pdf ) provides success stories that can 

guide local organizations who would like to collaborate on behalf of their communities.

Data Notes and Policy Briefs 

IMLS has also launched a series of data notes and policy briefs. The first, Libraries Use Broadband Internet Service to Serve High Need Communities, (www.imls.gov/pdf/DataNote2009_01.pdf) provides a look at 

library adoption of technology and Internet speed in urban, suburban and rural areas. Future analyses will 

examine trends in circulation and use of libraries in metro, non-metro, and rural areas. Another brief will 

examine trends in library programming for children.

Service Trends in Public Libraries

In December 2009, IMLS released a new research brief, Service Trends in U.S. Public Libraries, 1997-2007

(www.imls.gov/pdf/Brief2010_01.pdf). The brief identifies important changes public libraries have made to 

address patron needs in an increasingly internet-centric environment and explores service differences in urban and rural communities. A comparison of more than 11 years of Public Library Survey data suggests that 

service changes in U.S. public libraries are having an impact on visitation and circulation, as record numbers 

of people now use public libraries nationwide.

Detailed Program 

Descriptions

Detailed Program Descriptions: Research, Statistics, and 

Program Evaluation to Inform Policy and Practice
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Findings from the survey include: 

•	 The availability of Internet terminals in public libraries rose sharply between 2000 and 2007, increasing 

by 90 percent on a per capita basis. This dramatic increase is one example of the way U.S. public libraries are expanding their range of services to meet patron demand.

•	 Between 1997 and 2007, per capita visits to public libraries increased nationwide by 19 percent. During the same period per capita circulation increased by 12 percent. This growth in demand for library 

services occurred even as people increasingly turned to the Internet to meet other information needs.

•	 The study identified very different trajectories between urban and rural communities for select service 

trends, highlighting the importance of local context for identifying patron needs and improving services.

Program Evaluation

The office has administered program evaluation of the Library Grants to States Program (see Catalyst for 

Change: LSTA Grants to States Program Activities and the Transformation of Library Services to the Public on 

p. 18) Evaluation of the Museums for America program is currently underway. IMLS plans a program evaluation of the Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program in FY 2011.

Detailed Program 

Descriptions

Detailed Program Descriptions: Research, Statistics, and 

Program Evaluation to Inform Policy and Practice
Photo courtesy of the Gail Borden Public Library in Elgin, IL

Special Projects and Initiatives
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IMLS has pursued special projects and initiatives to strengthen the role of cultural institutions in promoting 

21st century skills, improve America’s library and museum collections, promote the importance of reading, 

honor innovators in the museum and library worlds, and highlight research and innovation in digital technology. Details on these activities are listed below.

21st Century Skills

Combining traditional strengths in creating powerful learning experiences with strategic investment in modern communications infrastructures, libraries and museums are trusted institutions that are well equipped 

to build the skills Americans need to succeed in the 21st century, such as problem-solving, critical thinking, 

entrepreneurship, and creativity.

As part of its effort to engage libraries and museums, community stakeholders, and policymakers at the 

national, state, and local level in a concerted effort to meet the educational, economic, civic, and cultural 

needs of communities, IMLS has published Museums, Libraries, and 21st Century Skills. The publication 

and companion Web site (www.imls.gov/about/21stCSkills.shtm) provide a framework for museums and libraries to align their programs and services to deliver 21st century skills and outline possibilities for broader 

community partnerships and engagement.

IMLS is undertaking a robust effort to raise awareness and encourage action around 21st century skills. This 

will involve grantmaking with a 21st century skills focus as well as outreach to federal, state, and local policymakers. Specifically, IMLS will

•	 support the ability of museums and libraries in envisioning and defining their roles as institutions of 

learning in the 21st century, providing lifelong learning experiences and developing partnerships at the 

local and state level to deliver 21st century skills;

•	 engage libraries and museums in early education and K-12 education reform efforts;

•	 target library and museum services to individuals of diverse geographic, cultural, and socioeconomic 

backgrounds; to individuals who have disabilities or limited functional literacy or information skills; to 

persons having difficulty using a library; and to underserved urban and rural communities; 

•	 support the development of a 21st century library and museum workforce; and 

•	 support research, development, and deployment of tools and services and model projects to promote innovative and creative uses of information/education resources and technology.

Connecting to Collections

America’s collections are for everyone. They are discovered and explored billions of time each year in libraries and museums across the country. They enlighten and inspire all of us, and collections stewardship is a 

core activity of these institutions. Connecting to Collections: A Call to Action (C2C) is a multifaceted, multiyear strategic initiative of the IMLS that leverages our significant work in this area to shine a nationwide 

spotlight on the needs of America’s collections, especially those held by small to medium-sized libraries and 

museums, which often lack the human and financial resources to care for their collections.

Each component of the initiative is based on the findings of the 2005 Heritage Health Index (HHI), a comprehensive study funded by IMLS, which argues powerfully for improved collections care in the United States 

and offers an integrated and systematic strategy (http://heritagepreservation.org/hhi). The study found that 

Special Projects and 

Initiatives

Special Projects and Initiatives
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190 million objects were in need of conservation treatment; 65 percent of collecting institutions had damage 

to collections due to improper storage; 80 percent of collecting institutions were without an emergency plan 

for their collections or staff adequately trained to carry out an emergency plan; and 40 percent of institutions 

had no funds allocated in their annual budgets for preservation or conservation. The study’s recommendations call upon libraries and museums to provide safe conditions for their collections; develop emergency 

plans to protect their collections; assign responsibility for collections to a senior-level staff person; and raise 

public awareness about the importance of protecting our nation’s collections.

The threat to physical collections might be more readily apparent, but digital collections are vulnerable as 

well and need protection. It is not likely that all cultural heritage institutions will be able to build the institutional and professional capacity to maintain their own digital collections without support. Consortial approaches and service models, which will produce economies of scale, must be developed to ensure that small 

and medium institutions have viable means to maintain their digital resources.

In 2008 and 2009, the C2C initiative included a national summit on conservation; four forums held across 

the country focusing on specific aspects of collections care; the distribution of the Connecting to Collections 

Bookshelf, a core set of essential resources for conservation and preservation; and the awarding of statewide 

conservation planning and implementation grants.

In FY09, IMLS continued the distribution of the Bookshelf, which has now been sent to nearly 3,000 small 

and mid-size institutions, and awarded additional statewide planning grants. Forty-three states have received 

these grants, which foster partnerships among museums, libraries, and archives. The final round of funding 

will be announced in March 2010. In addition, the C2C initiative spawned the American Heritage Preservation Grants in FY09. This three-year grant program, supported in partnership with the Bank of America Foundation, provides grants of up to $3,000 for small museums, libraries, and archives to help raise awareness 

and fund preservation of treasures held in these institutions.

In October 2009, IMLS carried C2C’s message of collections care to an international audience of 60 people 

from 32 countries, guardians of the world’s cultural treasures, met in Salzburg, Austria, to explore global 

themes related to conservation and preservation and develop recommendations for protecting collections 

around the world. The seminar was co-hosted by IMLS and the nonprofit organization the Salzburg Global 

Seminar and was attended by 59 cultural heritage leaders from 32 countries, including representatives of 

Africa, the Middle East, South America, and Asia. Participants and leaders issued a set of recommendations 

to overcome institutional, logistical, political, and financial barriers to the optimal conservation of collections. A publication summarizing these recommendations will be released in winter 2010 and distributed to 

key stakeholders in the U.S. and around the world.

In 2011 IMLS will continue to build upon these activities to 

•	 support disaster planning and preparedness;

•	 support the training of conservation, library, museum, and archive workforce;

•	 support planning and collection assessments to encourage strategic collections care activities in libraries 

and museums;

•	 raise public awareness about the need for conservation and preservation to assure that knowledge held in 

library and museum collections is passed on to future generations; and 

Special Projects and 

Initiatives

Special Projects and Initiatives
Institute of Museum and Library Services - 32

•	 capitalize on the activities undertaken through C2C, to support preservation and emergency planning and 

implementation on statewide levels.

National Book Festival Pavilion of the States

In September 2009, for the eighth consecutive year, IMLS helped host the National Book Festival’s Pavilion 

of the States on the National Mall. Representatives from state libraries and Centers for the Book throughout 

the country gathered in the nation’s capital to promote literacy, the love of reading, and the literary traditions 

of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. territories.

National Medals for Museum and Library Service

The Institute annually honors museums and libraries that make extraordinary civic, educational, economic, 

environmental, and social contributions to their communities. These National Medals for Museum and 

Library Service showcase the vital role of museums and libraries in American society. They are the nation’s 

highest honor for libraries and museums that make their communities better places to live.

WebWise

The annual WebWise conference is a signature initiative of IMLS. Each year it brings together representatives 

of museums, libraries, archives, systems science, education, and other fields interested in the future of highquality online content for inquiry and learning. The conference highlights recent research and innovations in 

digital technology, explores their potential impact on library and museum services, and promotes effective 

museum and library practices in the digital environment. It also offers recipients of IMLS technology-based 

grants the opportunity to showcase exemplary projects.

Special Projects and 

Initiatives

Special Projects and Initiatives
Photo courtesy of the Stark County District Library in Canton, OH

IMLS Administration
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IMLS Administration

IMLS Administration

This section highlights administrative improvements that support financial and budget accountability, human 

resource management, and support and maintenance of the agency’s information technology infrastructure 

and grants management. Justifications of operating costs by object class are also provided to support the 

IMLS administrative expense request.

Budget and Performance Integration

IMLS has an integrated approach to budgeting and long-range planning. Responsibility for development, coordination, and innovation in General Performance and Results Act activities resides with the Chief Financial 

Officer and the Deputy Director of Policy, Planning, Research and Communications, who coordinate with all 

of the other offices of the agency in developing and implementing the agency’s strategic plan and budget.

Over the past year, IMLS has continued to devote considerable effort into the development of its strategic 

goals and performance measures. The agency’s board and staff recognize the vital importance of building 

the capacity of libraries and museums to connect people to information and ideas. This requires a strategic 

approach, so that limited federal dollars can be effectively used to achieve the best in library and museum 

services for the American people.

Strategic Human Resources Management 

The Director of Human Resources has instituted a new Senior Executive Service (SES) program. The Office of Human Resources (OHR) will submit its SES performance management system to the U.S. Office 

of Personnel Management (OPM) for provisional certification and approval this year. We have deployed an 

online staffing and recruitment system, and implemented a new personnel payroll system. These are new and 

cutting-edge systems that allow the Institute to streamline its internal processes and respond to applicants 

and employees in a more professional and efficient manner. The Agency plans to further implement on-line 

systems in the area of training and electronic official personnel folder (e-OPF), as well as proactively look 

toward strategies to implement in the area of employee relations and policy.

The OHR developed and delivered its first-ever Human Capital Accountability and Assessment Framework 

(HCAAF) for FY 2009 in December of 2009. The Agency will annotate any milestones and lessons learned 

in order to provide a more comprehensive plan for our human capital reporting in FY 2010. The Institute’s 

FY 2009 report included both targets and sub-targets to include succession management, Annual Employment Survey, a revised appraisal system for all General Schedule employees of the Institute. In the fall of 

2009, OHR completely transformed the job opportunity announcements (JOAs) to meet the criteria of the 

new Administration. We have put our JOAs in plain English and have mapped our “beginning to end” hiring 

process to meet the 80-day timeline set by the OPM. The Agency will continue to implement new systems to 

support the Office Human Resources (OHR) initiatives to further bring the Institute in alignment with other 

comparable agencies.

In FY 2010 the employees of the Institute will participate in the new Employee Viewpoint Survey given by 

OPM. This survey replaces the Annual Employee Satisfaction Survey (AES).

During this fiscal year the agency will emphasize employee training, leadership training for agency management, succession management, performance management and engagement. Training on personnel matters 

focuses on all of the components of the No Fear Act; Understanding Prohibited Personnel Practices and 
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Whistleblower Protection; Making Accessibility a Reality—Making Panels and Other Meetings More Inclusive; Ethics and Government Service; Employee Performance Evaluation; and Benefits Available to Federal 

Employees.

The OHR will engage with the incoming agency Director to discuss his/her strategies and objectives that will 

support the agency’s mission for FY 2010-2011. We will strive to meet all deliverables and targets set by 

OPM for FY 2010 and 2011.

Information Technology

As part of an ongoing infrastructure and technological modernization effort, major hardware and software 

upgrades were completed during FY 2009-10. The technical solutions to support expanded telework were 

implemented. NETWORX transition plans were finalized and mandates of the Trusted Internet Connection 

(TIC) initiative continued. Expanded bandwidth to support increased reliance on cloud resources is being 

planned. Required support for the government-wide open transparency goals is being planned. Initial steps 

were taken towards a review of available cloud and virtual technologies that would provide the agency with 

streamlined cost effective solutions. A comprehensive IT COOP plan was begun with a goal of implementation in FY 2011.

Grants Management

IMLS continues to expand its electronic government capabilities and is committed to leveraging technology 

to minimize the burden on grantees and increase efficiencies agency-wide. IMLS presently delivers a number 

of services electronically and will be enhancing and expanding these services. In addition to the IMLS Web 

site, which provides application guidelines, publications, and other information; IMLS continues to partner 

with other federal agencies on Regulations.gov, Grants.gov, and usaspending.gov.

IMLS actively participates in government-wide initiatives to streamline the federal grant making process. The 

agency’s Chief Financial Officer and Deputy General Counsel are members of the federal Grants Executive 

Board and Grants Policy Committee, respectively, and the agency participates in the Grants.gov User Group.

The Grants.gov initiative benefits IMLS and its grant programs by providing a single location to publish grant 

opportunities and application packages and by providing a single site for the grants community to apply for 

grants using common forms, processes, and systems. By publishing its funding opportunities on Grants.gov, 

IMLS is reaching a larger, more diverse applicant pool.

The Institute will continue its work on the implementation of the Grants Management Line of Business (GMLoB) initiative in the upcoming months, and is currently in the process of identifying alternative solutions for 

a new Grants Management System. This will enable the Institute to retire its legacy internal grants management systems. Utilizing a GMLoB partner is expected to substantially reduce the costs of maintaining an 

internal grants management system.

•	 Pre-Award: Synopses and application packages for all IMLS’s discretionary grant programs are posted on 

Grants.gov. Applications via Grants.gov are mandatory for all of these programs.

•	 Peer Review Process: An important element of the Institute’s e-government plan is to incorporate online 

application review into the agency’s overall grants management process. Electronic peer review has been 
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embraced by IMLS reviewers in recent years and is expected to reduce the workload for both reviewers 

and staff, making feedback to applicants more efficient.

•	 Project Planning: In addition to the use of technology to advance application and award management, 

IMLS is developing assistance to help potential applicants develop better projects. This program will 

expand the Institute’s capacity to disseminate high-quality information about the results of its programs 

and initiatives.

•	 Agency Communications: Responding to the needs of the increasingly tech-savvy museum and library 

communities, some new features have been added to the IMLS Web site (www.imls.gov). Those who cannot attend IMLS conferences and events—such as WebWise and our Connecting to Collections National 

Tour forums—can now watch sessions online via Web casts. Subscribers to the IMLS RSS Feed will receive immediate notice of new content on our Web site. Podcasts and streaming video are now available, 

highlighting IMLS awardees and initiatives. Additionally, IMLS is currently developing a content management system for our public web site, as well as our staff intranet site. This project is seen as a “phase 

two” of the redesigned Web site that was launched in February of 2006, and will streamline the process 

for creating, editing, and organizing Web pages. This project also presents an opportunity to make some 

changes to the site’s content and navigation, allowing us to create a new section for our Research & 

Policy activities.

Improved Financial Performance 

IMLS continues to experience an extremely beneficial partnership with the Federal Aviation Administration’s 

(FAA) Enterprise Service Center (ESC). It affords IMLS access to timely reporting and accounting services, 

and to the financial information necessary to make strategic agency and programmatic decisions. This relationship also enables IMLS to comply with changing financial and budgetary requirements without the necessity of having duplicative in-house experts.

The CFO of the agency continues to collaborate with the other senior managers to improve financial processes and to provide financial data required to manage their operations. Each of the Institute’s offices has its 

own budget. Senior managers are required to monitor and approve expenditures. Quarterly budget meetings 

with the Chief of Staff and each office are conducted with more frequent discussions as conditions dictate, 

with the OCFO assisting the Chief of Staff and office directors in managing their budgets. In addition, a 

Grant Administrator with significant grant program knowledge has been reassigned to the CFO to identify and 

document needed modifications to existing system and program requirements, update grant guidance, and 

oversee the Grants Management Line of Business for the Institute.

The Institute continues to contract with one of three GSA-approved travel management centers which eliminated the manual travel management process. This has exceeded the expected savings in staff and processing time.

The Institute’s procurement process will be enhanced to track the initial receipt and final disposition of purchase requests, simplifying the required procurement reporting.
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Salaries and Expenses Request

The FY 2011 budget request for salaries and expenses will support the costs of the staff, overhead, contracts, and other activities needed to administer and monitor IMLS’s programs and to award the proposed 

$248.7 million in grants.

In FY 2011, the IMLS request for administrative costs is $15,053,000, or 5.7 percent of its total budget 

request of $265,869,000.

In FY 2011, the IMLS request for Policy, Research, Program Evaluation and Statistics is $2,081,000.

Justification of Operating Costs by Object Class

Table 3: IMLS History of Administration Costs (Amounts in 000s)

Object Class Description

FY 2008 

Enacted

FY 2009 

Enacted

FY 2010

Enacted

FY 2011 

Requested

11000/12000/

13000

Personnel Compensation and 

Benefits

$9,050 $10,050 $9,750 $9,750

21000 Travel and Transportation of 

Persons

850 900 1,000 1,000

22000 Transportation of Things 40 40 40 40

23000 Rental of Space (Rent, 

Communications and Utilities), Equipment Rental, 

Telephone Services, Postage

2,350 2,400 2,450 2,450

24000 Printing and Reproduction 300 300 200 200

25000 Other Contractual Services 1,170 3,000 3,500 3,500e

26000 Supplies and Materials 127 127 94 94

31000 Equipment 100 100 100 100

Total $13,987 $16,917 $17,134 $17,134

e The Policy, Research, Program Evaluation and Statistics request is reflected in this object class code.

This request includes funds for staff salaries, benefits, travel, training, rent, advisory and assistance services, 

communications and utilities expenses, supplies, equipment, and other operating expenses necessary to 

manage the Institute’s activities. The following narrative, presented by object class, provides more detail on 

this request.

11000 Personnel Compensation

12000 Personnel Benefits

13000 Benefits for Former Personnel

Amount Requested: $9,750,000

This category provides for salaries and benefits of federal employees, including expected within-grade 

increases, planned promotions, and performance awards for qualified staff, and reflects the use of lapse sav-
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ings made possible by delayed hires and turnover. This request supports the estimated 1.4 percent cost of 

living increase effective in January 2011, and is consistent with Administration policy.

Estimates are provided for benefits including the agency’s share of contributions for health insurance, life 

insurance, retirement contributions, Thrift Savings Plan match, unemployment benefits, and injuries sustained in the workplace. Over the past years, federal health insurance premiums, including agency contributions, have increased nearly 15 percent annually, an increase that is reflected in this budget estimate. As 

in FY2010, this amount will cover the management costs to federal employees of the government’s Flexible 

Spending Accounts. Support for the federal transit subsidy benefits provided under the Transportation Equity 

Act for the 21st Century is also reflected in this object class. To minimize personnel costs, the salary for 

National Museum Services Board members is proposed to remain at $100/day.

21000 Travel and Transportation of Persons

Amount Requested: $1,000,000

This object class funds the cost of travel by the Institute’s professionals for conference presentations, site 

visits to oversee grants, outreach activities, consultations with applicants, workshops on IMLS programs, 

and staff professional development. Funds are provided for regional forums that stimulate sharing of effective practices and expand museum and library collaboration opportunities. This effort allows the Institute to 

monitor the progress of new programs, provide technical assistance, and build new partnerships. It includes 

transportation costs associated with the National Award for Museum Service and the National Award for 

Library Service. This object class also supports grant oversight activities. Also included in this object class is 

$100,000 to support the important management of grant activities, especially regular site visits in support 

of the Museum and Library Services Act.

During FY 2011, the Institute will prioritize its administrative funding to enable targeted travel to state 

library agencies.

This object class supports travel for members of the National Museum and Library Services Board (NMLSB), 

including its four regular meetings. The Board has requested that its regular meetings include at least one 

meeting outside the Washington, D.C., area annually, in conjunction with the national gathering of museum 

and library professionals. This meeting will introduce the Board to leaders in the museum and library field 

and enable them to become acquainted with the agency’s constituents’ interests. The Board also observes 

the agency’s panel review process, thus resulting in an increase for Board member travel. All IMLS travel is 

to support the agency mission and mandates.

22000 Transportation of Things

Amount Requested: $40,000

Freight and express charges by common carrier, contract carriers, and other incidental expenses are included 

in this object class. Attendance at library and museum conventions, conferences, and meetings requires 

shipment of the Institute’s displays and associated materials, such as grant guidelines. This class also 

includes mail transportation charges for express package services (i.e., charges for transporting freight) and 

postage used in parcel post. Cost estimates are based on actual costs incurred historically by IMLS for this 

activity.
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23000 Rent, Communications and Utilities, Rental of Space (Standard Level Usage Charge), Equipment 

Rental, Telephone Services, Postage

Amount Requested: $2,450,000

This object class includes funding for the Agency’s office space through the General Services Agency (GSA), 

communication technology services, including data, voice, and cable services; equipment rental; and rental 

of audiovisual equipment used in presentations at conference sessions and off-site meetings.

IMLS has been successful in past years in directing more of its efforts toward the Internet, placing an increased emphasis on electronic dissemination and availability of IMLS materials and holding cost increases 

to a minimum.

24000 Printing and Reproduction 

Amount Requested: $200,000

This object class funds the composition and printing of program applications and guidelines, research 

publications, conference proceedings, and Federal Register notices. To help contain costs in this category, 

the Institute is promoting the use of its home page on the Internet. From this page, users can access program guidelines, grant information, recent awards lists, and a variety of information about IMLS initiatives, 

activities, and programs. IMLS continues to expand the electronic dissemination and availability of all public 

materials to prospective grantees from institutions of all sizes and in all geographic areas to keep printing 

costs at a minimum.

25000 Other Contractual Services

Amount Requested: $3,500,000

This object class provides for contractual services that are not covered in any of the preceding categories, 

and includes costs of maintenance for the financial management system, staff training, and costs of access 

to a federal employee health unit associated with the Department of Agriculture. Also included are costs of 

temporary clerical and grant application processing services, and production expenses associated with publications.

This object class funds a management conference for managers of State Library Program agencies. These 

funds also support convening meetings of the Native American tribal community for grant workshops and facilitate outcomes-based evaluation training for the Office of Library Services and Office of Museum Services 

grantees in all categories.

These funds support essential interagency agreements, including payroll services provided by the Department of Interior’s National Business Center, negotiation of indirect cost rates by the Department of Interior, 

and accounting services provided by the Department of Transportation’s FAA ESC. Also included are fees that 

support e-government initiatives such as the e-Travel services, the Grants Management Line of Business, 

Grants.gov, and the Human Resources Line of Business. Additionally, these funds support the Institute’s 

agreement with the U.S. Census Bureau for the annual Public Library and State Library Agency surveys. This 

object class also funds the contract costs (honoraria) of panelists and grant reviewers. Each year the Institute 

convenes dozens of panels to evaluate the quality of grant applications and to ensure transparency of grant 

decision-making. Costs for this activity have gone up each of the past three years, as the increase in grant 

applications translates to additional panel reviews.
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IMLS Administration

IMLS Administration

Planning and assessment studies are also funded from this object class. This budget item also includes contractual services for information technology support such as the Help Desk, State Program Reporting System, 

and maintenance of the General Support System for all agency operations. Also, annual financial, security, 

and systems audits and reviews are funded by this budget item.

Additionally, this funding supports regular evaluations of programs to assess programmatic effectiveness and 

to share best practices, and is consistent with the Administrations’ direction on “Increased Emphasis on 

Program Evaluations.” In FY2010 the Agency plans an evaluation of its Museums for America program and 

in FY2011 an analysis of the Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program. Funds in this object class also support the activities in the area of Museum Data Collection.

26000 Supplies and Materials

Amount Requested: $94,000

Expendable supplies such as routine office products and supplies, paper, and copier supplies are needed to 

carry out the daily business of IMLS. These funds also cover IT supplies, including disks, and toner cartridges and paper for printers and copiers. In addition, the funds cover the cost of maintaining the agency’s 

subscriptions to library- and museum-related periodicals, magazines, and newspapers, which help fulfill the 

mandate to research trends and needs in these fields.

31000 Equipment 

Amount Requested: $100,000

This object class funds all equipment, furniture, and office machines having a useful life in excess of one 

year—such as chairs, desks, file cabinets, IT equipment, software licenses, and printers. It also includes 

routine upgrades to local area network hardware and software in order to accommodate upgrades in database 

management and financial data. The majority of anticipated equipment expenditures will be for technology renewal of office automation equipment, systems software, and furniture that would be more expensive 

to repair than replace. The Institute intends to maximize the usefulness of existing hardware by upgrading rather than purchasing new equipment wherever possible. Rapid changes in technology, however, will 

make it necessary to purchase some new computer equipment, integration systems software and hardware, 

and electronic data exchange systems. This will enable the Institute to be responsive to and compliant with 

Administration directives and guidance and with federal laws, to remain on the cutting edge of technology in 

delivering services, and to continue being efficient.

Total Administrative Services Request: $17,134,000
Photo courtesy of the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh

FY2011 Performance Plan
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FY 2011

Performance Plan

FY 2011 Performance Plan

The Institute builds the capacity of museums and libraries to serve the public in three strategic ways:

•	 Sustaining Heritage, Culture, and Knowledge

•	 Enhancing Learning and Innovation;

•	 Building Professional Capacity

A fourth, overarching goal is to attain the highest level of excellence in federal management, operations, 

and service.

Sustaining Heritage, Culture, and Knowledge

Our nation’s museums and libraries serve as stewards of our cultural, scientific, and intellectual heritage.

Their collections illustrate, interpret, and embody the great events, ideas, and individuals that contribute 

to America’s history and culture. These irreplaceable resources help us understand, experience, explore, 

discover, and make sense of the world. Through their collections and the services they build around them, 

museums and libraries tell our nation’s story and ensure that knowledge is passed on to future generations.

The collections in libraries and museums connect people to the full spectrum of human experience, culture, 

science, history, and art. The Institute helps libraries and museums to preserve and manage collections of 

art, books, documents, other cultural artifacts, animals, plants, and digital resources so that future generations will have a tangible link with their heritage.

Unfortunately, collections are highly vulnerable to loss due to deterioration, theft, and natural and man-made 

disasters. Virtual resources are susceptible not only to physical destruction, but also to loss through technological change. Accordingly, through grant programs and special initiatives such as Connecting to Collections, the agency focuses on the conservation and preservation of library and museum collections.

Objective 1: Strengthen personnel capacity to manage conservation and preservation efforts in 

our nation’s libraries and museums.

Strategies:

•	 Expand the availability, efficiency, and effectiveness of strategies and choices for safeguarding collections.

•	 Build personnel skills for digital asset management, conservation, and preservation.

•	 Strengthen personnel skills in small to midsized institutions for collections management, preservation 

and conservation planning, and emergency preparedness at the institutional level.

Objective 2: Address high-priority needs identified by the Heritage Health Index. 

Strategies:

•	 Enable museums, libraries, and archives to carry out collections-wide preservation and conservation 

planning, to treat identified high-priority problems, and to serve as national models and sources of information.
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FY 2011

Performance Plan

FY 2011 Performance Plan

•	 Enable museums, libraries, and archives to plan for and implement risk reduction, emergency response, 

and recovery of collections.

•	 Support the development and creation of statewide disaster and preservation plans.

Objective 3: Galvanize attention and promote public-private partnerships to preserve the 

nation’s collections.

Strategies:

•	 Convene national and regional summits to galvanize awareness of the condition of the nation’s collections and the implications of their loss, and to develop plans to address the problem locally and 

nationally.

•	 Encourage and form partnerships at the federal, state, and local levels to address conservation and preservation needs.

•	 Build a program of public awareness activities.

Enhancing Learning and Innovation

Learning is more important than ever for success in today’s global economy. This includes in-and out-ofschool learning; learning at all ages; and, in addition to basic mathematics, reading, and science, a new set 

of 21st century skills such as creative problem solving, ability to work in teams, information literacy, and 

communication skills in multiple formats.

Over the past 20 years, an explosion of research has shown how people learn, from infancy to old age. We 

know that children are never too young to learn, and we know that lifelong learning extends the duration and 

quality of life. We also know that a thriving competitive economy depends on innovation and the opportunity 

to learn effectively not only in the classroom, but on the job and throughout one’s lifetime.

Museums and libraries are core community assets essential to larger efforts to support the development of 

families, individuals, and communities. They help our communities meet some of their greatest challenges, 

providing powerful places for civic engagement, contributing to economic development, building workforce 

participation, improving early literacy and school readiness, helping teens prepare for school and for life, and 

addressing a wide range of issues from helping our citizens keep current on health and science information 

to providing new immigrants resources they need to succeed in American society.

Objective 1: Increase the excellence, availability, and use of museum and library programs and services 

for learning and innovation.

Strategies:

•	 Strengthen local programming and services and widen the adoption of effective practices to address 

identified national issues.

•	 Strengthen the ability of libraries and museums to increase their own knowledge and improve programs, 

and support local replication and adaptation of models that evaluation shows to be effective.

•	 Disseminate data on effective management and practice to strengthen learning through museum and 

library services.
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FY 2011

Performance Plan

FY 2011 Performance Plan

Objective 2: Increase the number and variety of partnerships among museums, libraries, and other 

community entities.

Strategies: 

•	 Support collaborations to extend the impact of libraries and museums in meeting their communities’ 

needs.

•	 Create new partnerships with federal agencies and nongovernmental organizations to maximize federal 

support and serve as models for good practice in collaboration.

•	 Support various types of collaborations at the state level.

Objective 3: Increase the number of museums and libraries that use contemporary technology tools 

to deliver programs and services.

Strategies: 

•	 Help library and museum staff to adopt new technologies, particularly for improving management, operations, and services in small to midsized museums.

•	 Support research and demonstration to develop new tools and services to increase online access to collections.

•	 Develop models to allow seamless digital searching across library and museum collections.

Objective 4: Strengthen technology competencies across and within all community segments.

Strategies: 

•	 Support research and demonstration to expand tools and services that address contemporary learning 

needs.

•	 Develop a digital readiness assessment program to help small to midsized libraries and museums establish or strengthen digital collection programs.

•	 Strengthen knowledge for effective management of Grants to State Library Agencies.

Building Professional Capacity

Training a 21st century library and museum workforce is a top priority for IMLS. Both the library and museum sectors face impending retirements of baby boomers and must attract and recruit new staff. In addition, the rapidly changing environment of the knowledge society, the possibilities provided by new technologies, the increasing diversity of the population, and the need to demonstrate public value and accountability 

require an expanding portfolio of skills for library and museum professionals at every level.

Objective 1: Strengthen skills and knowledge of museum and library personnel for management, 

program design, partnership, planning, and leadership. 

Strategies:

•	 Strengthen skills of existing library and museum personnel at all levels.

•	 Expand the leadership pool of library and museum personnel.

•	 Increase collaboration and build collaboration skills.
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FY 2011

Performance Plan

FY 2011 Performance Plan

•	 Develop educational programs to meet the specific needs of Native American, Native Hawaiian, and 

African-American culture through eligible museums, libraries, and cultural centers.

Objective 2: Increase the number of people who undertake formal education and internships in 

libraries and museums.

Strategies:

•	 Support recruitment and education at the library and information science master’s and doctoral levels.

•	 Support the recruitment and professional development of museum personnel.

•	 Support innovative learning programs, such as internships and exchanges to increase the availability of 

skilled museum and library staff.

Objective 3: Increase the diversity of staff in the library and museum fields.

Strategies:

•	 Partner with national museums, federal agencies, and national professional organizations to support recruitment and professional development efforts to increase diversity in museum and library employment.

•	 Build leadership and skills necessary to address the current and future needs of museums and libraries 

to reflect and serve the increasing diversity of the nation. Through internships, support historically black 

colleges and universities to develop knowledge and skills to preserve and share African American history 

and culture.

Attaining Excellence in Federal Management, Operations, and Service

As the Institute accepts increasing responsibilities and federal agencies are called on to demonstrate accountability, the Institute must continue to strive for excellence in management, operations and service.

IMLS will constantly work to meet the needs of museums and libraries and their users..

Objective 1: Achieve the highest level of excellence in federal financial management, operations, 

and service.

Strategies:

•	 Continue to build IMLS staff expertise and provide excellent service to the museum, library, and related 

communities.

•	 Make full use of the knowledge and expertise of the members of the National Museum and Library Services Board.

•	 Maintain and improve the Institute’s peer review process for competitive grant programs.

•	 Maintain and improve the Institute’s oversight of Grants to State Library Agencies through increased 

online assistance, site visits, and conferences.

•	 Streamline application and award management through transition to the Grants Management Line of 

Business; develop human capital to maximize use of these systems and to assist applicants and grantees 

in their use.

•	 Continue to improve information technology operations.
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FY 2011

Performance Plan

FY 2011 Performance Plan

•	 Continue to improve financial management, including identifying and implementing additional efficiencies to reduce administrative expenses

•	 Maintain and improve internal management and financial controls throughout the Institute; this will lead 

to continued clean audit opinions with no material weaknesses.

•	 Finalize implementation of cost accounting methodology.

•	 Expand resources and technical assistance that support high-quality planning and evaluation for grantee 

organizations.

•	 Evaluate IMLS programs on a regular basis; apply findings to program improvements, and share models 

to improve practice.

Objective 2: Become the key source of information for and about museum and library service to support 

strong policy decision making at all levels.

Strategies:

•	 Assess the effectiveness of programs set forth in the Museum and Library Services Act.

•	 Finalize the consolidation of information policy and library statistics into IMLS.

•	 Explore desirability, feasibility, and structures needed for a museum statistics program.

•	 Gather, analyze, and broadly disseminate data about key museum and library needs, trends, and developments.

•	 Disseminate models of best practice and analysis of library and museum services.

•	 Develop resources to strengthen museum and library practice and project management.
Photo courtesy of the Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal

Authorizing Framework
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Authorizing Framework

Authorizing Framework

This justification requests funding under both the Museum and Library Services Act and the National Museum for African American History and Culture Act.

The Museum and Library Services Act (MLSA)

The authorization of appropriations for the Museum and Library Services Act (MLSA) of 2003 expired September 30, 2009. MLSA, which was enacted into law in September 1996, consolidated federal support for 

libraries and museums and created the Institute of Museum and Library Services. Prior to enactment, library 

support was administered by the U.S. Department of Education and museum support was administered by 

the Institute of Museum Services. In establishing the MLSA, Congress reaffirmed the essential role of the 

federal government in promoting access to information and educational resources to better serve the people 

of the United States and cultivate an educated and informed citizenry. Congress recognized the special role 

of museums and libraries in promoting the information and educational needs of a democratic society.

When the MLSA was reauthorized in September 2003, Congress established the National Museum and 

Library Services Board to provide policy advice and inform the full range of activities and programs carried 

out by the Institute. Congress also enhanced the Institute’s capacity to monitor trends in museum and library 

services to better serve the nation’s information and learning needs.

Since the last reauthorization, Congress has directed the Institute to assume responsibility for library data 

collection (formerly the responsibility of National Center for Education Statistics of the U.S. Department 

of Education) and provided the Institute with the authority and resources to carry out the functions of the 

former National Commission on Libraries and Information Science. The former Commission had been authorized to provide advice to the President and Congress on national and international library and information 

policies, to appraise and assess the adequacies and deficiencies of library and information resources and 

services, and to develop overall plans for meeting national library and information needs.

The MLSA consists of the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) and the Museum Services Act (MSA).

General Provisions

The general provisions section of the MLSA establishes the agency, provides authority to the director, and defines the duties and responsibilities of the National Museum and Library Services Board, creates a director of 

the Institute and establishes the composition and role of the National Museum and Library Services Board. It 

also instructs the director to carry out and publish analyses of the impact of museum and library services.

The Library Services and Technology Act

Since 1956, the Library Services and Technology Act and its predecessors have been the primary source of 

federal support for the nation’s libraries.

The LSTA directs IMLS to

•	 improve library service to better serve the people of the United States; 

•	 facilitate access to library resources to cultivate an educated and informed citizenry; and

•	 encourage resource sharing to achieve economical and efficient delivery of library service.
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Authorizing Framework

Authorizing Framework

The LSTA calls for funding for a state formula grant, national leadership grants, and support for Native 

American tribes and organizations that primarily serve Native Hawaiians.

The Museum Services Act

Since 1976, the Museum Services Act has been the primary source of federal support for the nation’s museums.

The MSA directs IMLS to

•	 support museums in their public service role of connecting the whole of society to cultural, artistic, historical, natural and scientific heritage; 

•	 help museums work with schools, families, and communities in support of education; 

•	 encourage leadership in technology; and 

•	 help museums achieve the highest standards of collections stewardship and management.

The authority provided in the MSA is broad and flexible, requiring support for all types of museums from art 

to zoo for a wide variety of museum service activities. The 2003 reauthorization provided new authority for a 

program of support for Native American tribes and organizations that primarily serve Native Hawaiians.

Reauthorization

The authorization of appropriations for the Museum and Library Services Act (MLSA) of 2003 expired September 30, 2009. Since the last authorization IMLS has taken responsibility for several library data collections, formerly the responsibility of the National Center for Education Statistics, and for functions that had 

been carried out by the National Commission on Libraries and Information Science.

The African American History and Culture Act

In December 2003, Congress passed and the President signed the African American History and Culture Act.

This law calls for the creation of a National Museum for African American History and Culture and authorizes 

IMLS, in consultation with the new museum’s director and council, to offer grants and scholarships to support museums that primarily focus on African American history and culture.