The purpose of this study is to
examine the effectiveness of different mechanisms of delivering
public support to museums in the United States. The study will
provide data that may be used to help enhance current methods of
delivering federal and state funds to the nations museums.
Congress has established the Institute of Museum and Library
Services as the primary source of federal support for the nations
libraries and museums. Specifically through the Museum Services
Act, as cited in the legislation (20 U.S.C.§9171), federal funds
are directed to museums to encourage and support museums in
carrying out their public service role of connecting the whole of
society to the cultural, artistic, historical, natural, and
scientific understandings that constitute our heritage; to
encourage and support museums in carrying out their educational
role, as core providers of learning and in conjunction with
schools, families, and communities; to encourage leadership,
innovation, and applications of the most current technologies and
practices to enhance museum services; to assist, encourage, and
support museums in carrying out their stewardship responsibilities
to achieve the highest standards in conservation and care of the
cultural, historic, natural, and scientific heritage of the United
States to benefit future generations; to assist, encourage, and
support museums in achieving the highest standards of management
and service to the public, and to ease the financial burden borne
by museums as a result of their increasing use by the public; and
to support resource sharing and partnerships among libraries,
schools, and other community organizations. To achieve the purposes
of the Museum Services Act the Institute of Museum and Library
Services has established an array of discretionary grant programs
administered at the national level. These programs have helped
hundreds of museums around the country to better connect with the
public they serve, enhance lifelong learning, and conserve tangible
objects for future generations. The Institute also administers a
program of federal support for libraries. The purposes of the
Library Services and Technology Act are similarly broad, but the
delivery mechanisms differ. The Library Services and Technology Act
provides that funds be delivered through a national competitive
process as well as through a population-based grant to each state.
The formula grants to the states leverage the national investment
in libraries and encourage local and state responsibility in
supporting the role of libraries in bringing educational, cultural
and civic benefits to the American public. In addition there are
many other models across the federal government that use a
distribution of federal funds to the states to build capacity.
There is no such mechanism for museums. The Institute of Museum and
Library Services, in response to its legislative authority to
conduct analyses on the impact and effectiveness of museum and
library services (20 U.S.C. Chapter 72, 9108), proposes to assess
the effectiveness of the systems that are currently in place to
deliver state and federal public funds to museums. Effectiveness
will be assessed using the purposes identified in the Museum
Services Act.
The proposed study relates to
IMLS' role as the primary source of federal support for the
nation's libraries and museums. Under Section 210 of the Museum and
Library Services Act (20 U.S.C. 9010, et seq.), IMLS has a data
collection and analysis role. This study will provide essential
data and information about funding of the nation's museums.
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that
the collection of information encompassed by this request complies
with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR
1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding
the proposed collection of information, that the certification
covers:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a
benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control
number;
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of
these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked
and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.
Justification B.doc
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