WASHINGTON, DC – Late last night President Obama signed into law Senator Jack Reed’s (D-RI) bill to strengthen library and museum services across the nation.  The Museum and Library Services Act of 2010 authorizes nearly $300 million in federal assistance to museums and libraries nationwide.  The bill provides funding for the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), a vital agency that helps museums and libraries of all sizes and types meet the needs of their communities. 

“Yesterday was a great day for our nation’s museums and libraries.  The President signed the Museum and Library Services Act into law, and the Senate confirmed Susan Hildreth to lead the Institute for Museum and Library Service.  The Museum and Library Services Act represents our national commitment to the institutions that are essential to building strong, knowledgeable, and vibrant communities.  Through a relatively modest federal investment, this law helps build capacity to support and expand access to library and museum services at the state and local level,” said Reed, who noted that in years past Rhode Island libraries and museums have received over $15 million in federal grants from these programs. 

Several libraries, including Pawtucket Library; Coventry Library; and the Redwood Library in Newport; and museums, including Slater Mill, RI Historical Society, Museum of Art at RISD, John Brown House, and URI have used the grants to leverage their resources and strengthen operations, upgrade technology, and expand access to services at the state and local level.   The measure has also provided statewide grants that benefit multiple libraries and fund various library initiatives such as summer reading programs, programs to help seniors and the blind, adult literacy classes, and other programs.

The Museum and Library Services Act of 2010 will enhance and expand services and resources for students, job seekers, and small businesses that are provided by libraries through greater collaboration and coordination with Head Start centers, schools, and workforce development systems. 

The law also enhances training and professional development for librarians and ensures the development of a diverse library workforce, including by authorizing the Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian program, which has been previously funded through annual appropriations.

It will help build state capacity to support museums by authorizing IMLS to support state assessments of museum services and the development and implementation of state plans to improve and enhance those services.  The bill will also strengthen conservation and preservation efforts.

Additionally, it seeks to fully leverage the role of libraries and museums in supporting the learning, educational, and workforce development needs of Americans by requiring IMLS to improve coordination and collaboration with other federal agencies that also have an interest in and responsibilities for the improvement of museum and libraries and information services.

According to the American Library Association, Americans visit libraries more than 1.3 billion times and check out more than 2.1 billion items each year. 

The American Association of Museums reports that there are nearly 850 million visits per year to American museums, and that U.S. museums employ as many as half a million Americans and contribute approximately $20.7 billion to the economy each year.

Former Senator Claiborne Pell (D-RI) was instrumental in crafting the first Museum and Library Services Act, which was originally enacted in 1996.  In 2003, Reed led the successful effort to reauthorize the legislation and has once again led the charge to preserve and extend critical federal support to museums and libraries.

The Museum and Library Services Act of 2010 was passed unanimously by the U.S. Senate on December 7, 2010, then unanimously by the U.S. House of Representatives on December 14, 2010.  It was also strongly supported by the library and museum communities.