Agency Description
The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is the primary federal agency responsible for supporting the nation’s 122,000 libraries and 17,500+ museums. The IMLS was established in 1996 by the Museum and Library Services Act of 1996. The IMLS’s Office of Museum Services (OMS) awards grants to museums of all types and sizes in support of their work as institutions of learning and exploration, and keepers of our cultural, historical, and scientific heritages. URL: www.imls.gov

Action Needed
We urge Congress to support increased funding in FY 2012 – or, at a minimum, level funding – for the Office of Museum Services, as recommended by the American Association of Museums (AAM).

Current Funding Status
The FY 2011 Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act (H.R. 1473) was signed into law on April 15, 2011. It provides $237.39 million for IMLS. This marks a decrease of $44.9 million from the FY 2010 enacted level, including a $28 million cut to regular programs and a $16.4 million cut to eliminate earmarks added to the FY 2010 appropriations bill. IMLS was funded at $282.3 million in FY 2010, including $265.9 million for regular programs and $16.4 million in Congressional earmarks. The President requested $265.9 million for the agency in FY 2011. 

The IMLS Office of Museum Services (OMS) was funded at $35.2 million in FY 2010. OMS is funded at $31.6 million in FY 2011.

FY 2012 President’s Budget Proposal
For FY 2012, the Obama Administration has requested $242.6 million in overall funding for IMLS, including $193.2 million for library programs and $32.3 million for museum programs. The President’s request for the Office of Museum Services marks an 8.2% reduction from current funding levels.  

Talking Points

• The recent bipartisan reauthorization of the agency – passed unanimously by Congress – called for $38.6 million for OMS, an increase over the current funding level ($35 million in FY 2010), to meet the growing demand for museum programs and services. 
• OMS supports all types of museums – including aquariums, arboretums, art museums, botanical gardens, children’s museums, historic sites, history museums, military museums, natural history museums, nature centers, planetariums, science & technology centers, zoological parks, and other types of museums. Grants are awarded in a number of areas including educational and public programming, professional development, and collections management, among others.
• Current funding has allowed the agency to fund only a small fraction of all highly-rated grant applications. Despite the funding shortfall, museum attendance has increased, collections are subject to increasing risk, and museum staff members need professional development in conservation, education, and technology, especially to digitize collections to make them available to even greater audiences. The educational services museums provide to schools and communities are in greater demand than ever.
• Museums spend more than $2.2 billion annually on educational programming (American Association of Museums 2009 Museum Financial Information).
• Museums receive more than 90 million visits each year from students in school groups (IMLS study).
• Museums tailor educational programs in coordination with state and local curriculum standards in math, science, art, literacy, economics and financial literacy, language arts, history, civics and government, geography, and social studies (IMLS study).
• Each year, museums provide more than 18 million instructional hours for educational programs such as guided tours for students, staff visits to schools, school outreach through science vans and other traveling exhibits, and professional development for teachers (IMLS study).
• Teachers, students, and researchers are benefiting from access to trustworthy information through online collections and exhibits, although most museums need more help in developing their digital collections to meet this need. This is especially important when geographical distances prevent travel to a wide range of museums.
• Museums employ 400,000 Americans, according to the American Association of Museums.
• U.S. museums contribute $21 billion to the American economy each year (2008 estimate), encouraging economic growth in their communities.

Committee Jurisdiction
Appropriations: House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittees on Labor, Health, and Human Services
Authorization: House Committee on Education & the Workforce and Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, & Pensions

Authorization
Most activities of the Institute of Museum and Library Services are authorized by Chapter 72 of Title 20 of the U.S. Code (20 USC CHAPTER 72). This statute is the result of two laws, the Museum and Library Services Act of 1996 and the reauthorization of that act in 2003. Other legislation, such as the National Museum of African American History and Culture Act and the E-Government Act, also affect IMLS programs and policies. IMLS was reauthorized unanimously by Congress in 2010. 

Additional Resources

• www.speakupformuseums.org