Institute of Museum and Library Services Archives

Museum and Library Services Act Introduced

By Kathi Kromer | October 1, 2018

Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.) led the Senate version of the bill (S. 3530) with 11 cosponsors: Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Angus King (I-Maine), Doug Jones (D-Ala.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), and Bob Casey Jr. (D-Pa.). Rep. Raúl Grijalva … Continue reading Museum and Library Services Act Introduced →

Federal Budget Includes Big Gains for Libraries

By Loida Garcia-Febo | September 28, 2018

When the new fiscal year begins on October 1, the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) will have an additional $2 million to improve administration of library state-formula grant programs and research. Grants funded through the Library Services and Technology Act will continue to receive level funding, enabling libraries to continue offering a range … Continue reading Federal Budget Includes Big Gains for Libraries →

Subcommittee Calls for Library Funding Increases

By Kevin Maher | September 14, 2018

Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS): $2 million increase Title IV-Part A of the Every Student Succeeds Act: $70 million increase National Library of Medicine: $13 million increase Career and technical education state grants: $70 million increase Adult education state grants: $25 million increase Head Start: $200 million increase Level funding was provided for … Continue reading Subcommittee Calls for Library Funding Increases →

Hope, Power, Action

By Jim Neal | May 1, 2018

The current and prospectively annual battles over funding for the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and Innovative Approaches to Literacy have dominated our advocacy work. We have sustained and even expanded funding for IMLS in FY2018, but we are already pushing for support for FY2019 appropriations. At the same time, other important aspects … Continue reading Hope, Power, Action →

Spending Bill Includes Big Increases for Libraries

March 23, 2018

“We are thrilled that Congress has passed an FY2018 omnibus spending bill today that includes significant federal funding increases for our nation’s libraries! “One year ago, the White House proposed eliminating the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and slashed millions of dollars in federal funding for libraries. Twelve months and tireless advocacy efforts … Continue reading Spending Bill Includes Big Increases for Libraries →

ALA President Issues Statement on White House Budget

February 13, 2018

In response, American Library Association (ALA) President Jim Neal issued the following statement: “The administration’s FY2019 budget is out of touch with the real needs of Americans and the priorities of leaders in Congress who represent them. The president miscalculates the value of more than 120,000 libraries across America, just as he did in his … Continue reading ALA President Issues Statement on White House Budget →

Librarians Harness the Potential of Blockchain Technology—Get Involved

By Sandy Hirsh | February 6, 2018

With a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), the San José State University (SJSU) School of Information is investigating ways that blockchain technology can be used by libraries as a community anchor to partner with other organizations and to support civic goals. Some suggestions for blockchain applications in libraries include building … Continue reading Librarians Harness the Potential of Blockchain Technology—Get Involved →

At Pocahontas State Park in Chesterfield, Virginia, Mitchell Scheid uses supplies from his library backpack to examine local insect life. Photo: Lisa Scheid

Out of the Branches, into the Woods

By Ronnie Wachter | January 2, 2018

Libraries from coast to coast are buying hiking backpacks, stuffing them with field guides and park passes, and making them available for checkout. The intent, officials in several libraries agree, is to give families a new reason to get off the couch and into the world. “It’s really becoming more and more popular by the … Continue reading Out of the Branches, into the Woods →

Denice Adkins (left) and Elizabeth Jean Brumfield (far right) at an LIS curriculum committee meeting at the University of Missouri in Columbia.

Changing Perspectives through Exchange

By Denice Adkins and Elizabeth Jean Brumfield | September 22, 2017

A mentor and mentee case study IFLA IMLS fellow Elizabeth Jean Brumfield, distance services librarian at Prairie View (Tex.) A&M University (PVAMU), has been mentored by Denice Adkins, associate professor at University of Missouri’s School of Information Science and Learning Technologies. Through their interactions, they were able to view librarianship from each other’s perspective. Adkins’s … Continue reading Changing Perspectives through Exchange →

Your Efforts Are Helping to #saveIMLS

By Jim Neal | September 20, 2017

I am pleased to report that on September 14, the full House of Representatives voted as part of a large spending package (H.R. 3354) not to make any cuts in federal funding for IMLS. This includes all funding for IMLS programs under the Library Services and Technology Act, and for the Department of Education’s Innovative Approaches to … Continue reading Your Efforts Are Helping to #saveIMLS →

Kathryn Matthew, director of the Institute for Museum and Library Services, speaks at the American Library Association’s 2017 Annual Conference and Exhibition in Chicago on June 24, 2017.Photo: Rebecca Lomax/American Libraries

Becoming Catalysts in a Changing World

By Carrie Smith | June 24, 2017

In “Be a Catalyst: Harnessing Your Portfolio of Resources to Create Catalytic Change in Communities,” sponsored by the ALA Washington Office, Matthew provided advice on how libraries can learn about their communities in order to strengthen their connections to them, while Rip Rapson and Barbara Bartle provided context from national and regional funder points of view. … Continue reading Becoming Catalysts in a Changing World →

In her position as tribal aide to elders, Judi Bridge helps the senior citizens of Winnebago, Nebraska, make the most of the library.

Coming Home, Building Community

By Anne Ford and Cynthia Hughes | June 1, 2017

The Winnebago Reservation in northeastern Nebraska lies about 20 miles from the nearest drugstore. Long on farmland and short on commercial services, this rural area is a place where it’s easy for people who are elderly, homebound, or both to become isolated. Seven years ago, though, the local community college and public library created the … Continue reading Coming Home, Building Community →

Latest Library Links

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Sharpening participants’ problem solving and collaboration skills by mashing up real-time adventure, immersive theater, gaming, and old-fashioned entertainment, escape rooms are a natural for libraries. And, as Ellyssa Kroski demonstrates in Escape Rooms and Other Immersive Experiences in the Library, published by ALA Editions, they’re feasible for a range of audiences and budgets. Kroski explains the differences between highly structured escape rooms and more casual immersive experiences.

ALA Editions, Oct. 18
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Guadeloupean author Maryse Condé has been awarded the 2018 New Academy Prize in Literature. She was named the winner at a ceremony held October 12 at the Stockholm Public Library main branch in recognition of the role played by Swedish librarians in nominating authors for the award. Condé receives the 1 million Swedish kronor award for an authorship that “describes the ravages of colonialism and the postcolonial chaos in a language which is both precise and overwhelming.”

Book Riot, Oct. 12
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Silvana Reyes Lopez writes: “Space opera novels are full of world-building, all-around action, and interesting characters. Space opera is inside the science fiction genre, and from there you can travel the stars, finding new books to read. It might contain fights or lost empires, or princesses running from their kingdoms and enemies trying to kill each other. It has everything for everyone, so you can’t go wrong on the direction you choose. Let’s go down this list of the 25 of the best space opera books.”

Book Riot, Oct. 18
4h

Thunderous applause echoed across Benjamin Banneker Charter Public School’s gymnasium as one of their own was surprised with a $25,000 national award October 16 for her efforts in engaging students and boosting literacy skills. Jennifer Gordon, a librarian at the Cambridge school, was named as a recipient of the Milken Educator Award. No one at the school knew who had won the award until the envelope with Gordon’s name was opened. Officials with the Milken Family Foundation said Gordon’s influence in her students’ and colleagues’ lives is what made her stand out.

Boston Herald, Oct. 17
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City of Thieves by David Benioff was banned from a Lee County High School in Fort Myers, Florida, after a parent complained of the book being “vulgar.” The book had been randomly assigned to approximately 30 students, and the parents and students had a chance to review the work and express concerns. At the time, no concerns were brought forward, though according to a local news report, some students did ask to exchange City of Thieves for another book.

Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, Oct. 17
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Meghan Ferriter writes: “Big news! We’ll launch a crowdsourcing program at the Library of Congress on October 24. We’re asking everyone to join us as we improve discovery and access across our collections through transcription and tagging. The program is grounded in what we’ve learned through our previous experiences with participatory projects, including image description in Flickr and our newspaper captioning pilot Beyond Words. The venture connects with the FY2019–2023 Strategic Plan and accompanying Digital Strategy.”

Library of Congress: The Signal, Oct. 17
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Amanda Pagan writes: “Gothic fiction as a genre was first established with the publication of Horace Walpole’s dark, foreboding The Castle of Otranto in 1764. In the centuries since, gothic fiction has not only flourished, but also branched off into many popular sub-genres. The battle between humanity and unnatural forces of evil (sometimes man-made, sometimes supernatural) within an oppressive, inescapable, and bleak landscape is considered to be the true trademark of a gothic horror novel.”

New York Public Library blogs, Oct. 18

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