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Have You Thought About Your Cultural Assets Lately?. Marsha Semmel, Acting Director, IMLS Craigslist Foundation Boot Camp August 14, 2010. What is IMLS? . IMLS is a U.S. federal government agency. Our primary purpose is to make grants to the nation’s museums and libraries.
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Have You Thought About Your Cultural Assets Lately? Marsha Semmel, Acting Director, IMLSCraigslist Foundation Boot CampAugust 14, 2010
What is IMLS? • IMLS is a U.S. federal government agency. • Our primary purpose is to make grants to the nation’s museums and libraries. • We also engage in research, evaluation, and data collection for the field. • Established in 1996.
Our Mission • The Institute’s mission is to help build the capacity of libraries and museums: To connect people to information and ideas • The Institute is the primary source of federal support for the nation’s 123,000 libraries and 17,500 museums.
Purpose and Goals • IMLS has three keygoals: • Sustain cultural heritage and knowledge; • Enhance learning and spur innovation; and • Support professional training so the staff of libraries and museums can be leaders in their communities.
U.S. Museums and Libraries • 17,500 Museums • Art • History • Science • Youth • Aquaria • Planetaria • Arboreta • Zoos • Botanical Gardens • 123,000 Libraries • -Public • Academic • School • Research • Archives
Meeting Individual & Community Needs The Customer Pyramid (Conley, Peak: 2007)
Combating Childhood Obesity Children’s Museum of Manhattan • Adapts the We Can! Program created by the NIH to enhance early learning • Partnership with Bronx public housing • Collaboration with the • Louisiana Children’s • Museum and low-income • communities in New • Orleans
Addressing Needs of Immigrants Orange County Public Library (FL) • Citizenship Inspired: a multifaceted learning experience for those seeking U.S. citizenship • One-on-one learning, learning in groups, live online learning, and self-paced online tutorials • Social networking to build collaborative communities
Battling Substance Abuse Haines Borough Public Library • Voices Project partnership with KHNS public radio • Educate rural, native Alaskans about the impacts of drug and alcohol abuse • Storytelling and audio diaries illustrating the impacts of abuse • Dissemination via the radio and Web
Meeting Mental Health Needs Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens • Partnership with College of Nursing at Florida Atlantic University • Garden walks and guided imagery targeting depression • Online training manual for gardens and museums
Supporting the Homeless Young at Art of Broward (FL) • ArtREACH: afterschool arts and homework assistance program supporting mothers and their children through play and learning • Collaboration with the school board & two homeless shelters • Free museum memberships
Serving the Unemployed Project Compass – OCLC WebJunction & the State Library of North Carolina • Links libraries nationwide to share strategies for helping unemployed patrons find work • Regional summits for state librarians to share best practices • Promoting statewide workforce development partnerships
Building Cross-cultural Understanding International Coalition of Sites of Conscience • Build the capacity of 12 immigration history museums to facilitate dialogue around community immigration issues • Professional development for museum staff
Enhancing Environmental Literacy Monterey Bay Aquarium • Watsonville Area Teens Conserving Habitats (WATCH) program • Partnership with Pajaro Valley High School • Educate students about local conservation issues, connect and engage with their community, and expose them to science and conservation-related careers
Increasing Accessibility & Inclusion Queens Museum of Art • Community-based art therapy program for Spanish-speaking families of children with autism spectrum disorder • Partnership with the Queens Library and Quality Services for the Autistic Community
IMLS E-communications • www.imls.gov • Primary Source: Free monthly e-mail update, sent to over 9,000 subscribers. • Twitter: @US_IMLS • IMLS RSS Feed: www.imls.gov/rss.xml • IMLS Podcasts: www.imls.gov/podcast.xml