Democracy can only survive and thrive when citizens are educated and informed. Without education and information individuals are unable to lead useful and productive lives, to contribute fully to the common good, or to participate effectively in civic affairs. Museums and libraries play a fundamentally important role in our democratic society by supporting and enhancing education and by providing information that citizens need in their daily lives. Museums and libraries also preserve our rich and diverse culture and history, embedded in their collections of primary sources, and transmit that heritage from one generation to the next.

Museums and libraries build communities because they meet real community needs. They offer everything from economic development incentives to community meeting spaces and from literacy efforts to after-school programs. They are havens for community engagement for children, families and adults, for scholarly research, for quiet contemplation, and for recreation. Increasingly, people are searching for high-quality educational content online; museums and libraries provide digital resources of unrivalled quality, validity and utility.

The Institute of Museum and Library Services takes an active role in championing the role libraries and museums play in our society. IMLS does this in a variety of programs that support research and encourage innovation. IMLS fosters the development of best practices and disseminates them through its publications and its Web site. IMLS supports the development of tools and resources to provide seamless access to the digital holdings of collecting institutions regardless of type or physical location. And IMLS encourages collaboration and partnership between and among libraries and museums to maximize their impact and magnify the use of their resources.

The principal focus of our attention today is to articulate the primarily educational mission of museums and libraries, and to express our vision of the important role that these agencies play in developing a new learning society for the 21st century. A primary thrust of our programs stresses development of digital resources and linkages among and between libraries and museums. Another issue of utmost importance is to assist museums and libraries in evaluating their programs and assuring that we are accountable to the public we serve.

We at IMLS are very proud of the role that the agency plays in supporting the efforts of museums and libraries to improve and enhance the services that they provide to their communities.

Robert S. Martin, PhD

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