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 nationÂs museums.
Congress has established the Institute of Museum and Library Services as the primary source of federal support for the nationÂs 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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