$188.5 million for museums and libraries

Citation

(1999), "$188.5 million for museums and libraries", Interlending & Document Supply, Vol. 27 No. 3. https://doi.org/10.1108/ilds.1999.12227cab.017

$188.5 million for museums and libraries

Keywords: Library services, Museums, Funding, Informatioln technology developments, USA

The President of the United States, Bill Clinton, has put in a request for $188.5 million in his budget for 2000 for the Institute of Museums and Library Services (IMLS). This includes $10million to support the creation of a National Digitial Library for Education which is part of the President's Educational Technology Initiative.

The IMLS is a new agency that combines museums and libraries in one agency for the first time. It encourages life-long learning and supports the use of new technology to access museum and library collections.

The National Digital Library for Education would be available to every American and would include material to help children in their studies of culture, maths, science and history. Initially the money would be split evenly, $5million for library services and $5million for museum services. Funding will also be sought from the private sector, foundations and individual donors.

In 1998 IMLS started funding digitisation projects. These were similar to the types of projects that will be funded by the National Digital Library for Education. Their awards cover four types of project: education and training in museums and libraries; research and demonstration projects; preservation or digitisation; model programmes for co-operative efforts between museums and libraries. Each state library has also been asked to submit a five-year plan to describe how the agency's funding can improve library services.

Source: Information Management Report, May 1999