The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) proudly announces release of a podcast on 21st century skills by IMLS Acting Director Marsha L. Semmel.

The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) announces that Justin Estoque has joined its staff as chief operating officer. In this new position, Estoque will oversee the offices of finance, administration and contracting, human resources, and information technology (IT) and will serve as a member of IMLS's executive leadership team. He comes to IMLS from the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) where he served as the director of the executive planning office.

On August 16, 2010, the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) will host a webinar to answer questions about its Request for Proposals (RFP) for a cooperator to develop a framework of the principles, elements, or characteristics of organizations and communities that foster digital inclusion. This RFP was developed in response to the National Broadband Plan recommendations on digital inclusion and adoption.

When the Monterey Bay Aquarium sought to expand its environmental education efforts, it found a good match in the Watsonville area near the northeast coast of Monterey Bay. The new Pajaro Valley High School was located in what has become a rarity in coastal California: A wetlands area called a slough. The Aquarium worked with school faculty to develop the WATCH (Watsonville Area Teens Conserving Habitats) program, which uses a three-week summer field exploration session to get students interested in environmental science projects that they continue throughout the school year.

The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is accepting grant applications for the agency's 2011 Conservation Project Support (CPS) program. Application guidelines are available on the IMLS Web site. The application deadline is October 1, 2010.

The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), the primary source of federal support for the nation's museums and libraries, announces that 13 institutions are receiving National Leadership Collaborative Planning Grants (NLG) totaling $763,715. Grantees will contribute $491,995 in matching funds. There were 62 applications to the program with requests totaling $3,752,309.

The National Broadband Plan released in March 2010 presented a vision of pervasive and affordable broadband that will provide every American an equal opportunity to engage in the educational, economic, and social life of the nation. Recommendation 9.3 of the Plan calls on the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) to "develop guidelines for public access technology based on populations served and organization size.

The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) today awarded $1,485,000 to 14 organizations committed to preserving and sharing the history of African American life from the period of slavery to the present day as part of the Museum Grants for African American History and Culture (AAHC) program.

Each issue of Primary Source contains brief articles that alert readers to new information about grants, monthly highlights of best practices, and important agency news with links to more detailed information on the Web site.

HISTORYT announced the winners of a special contest for libraries connected with its landmark 12-part series AMERICA THE STORY OF US.

The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and the Bank of America Charitable Foundation are pleased to announce the 2011 guidelines for the American Heritage Preservation Program.

The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is pleased to announce that 178 museums across the country will receive a total of $19,550,456 in Museums for America (MFA) grants. These museums, chosen from 510 applicants, represent 39 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.

Kicking off the program's fifth year, the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) joins the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) in announcing that 75 not-for-profits - including arts and cultural organizations, libraries, and universities - will receive grants totaling $1 million to host a Big Read project between September 2010 and June 2011.

On June 29, 2010, the Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration (ETA) officially encouraged its state and local workforce investment boards, state workforce agencies, and One-Stop Career Centers to partner with public libraries to extend its career and employment services to job seekers and unemployed workers.

Public library visits and circulations per capita increased almost 20 percent between FY1999 and FY2008, while the number of public librarians per 25,000 people has remained virtually the same during that same period, according to the FY2008 Public Libraries Survey (PLS) report issued by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).

On June 22, 2010, the Senate confirmed five individuals to serve on the National Museum and Library Services Board, which advises the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) on general policy and practices and on selections for the National Medal for Museum and Library Service. The board is comprised of the IMLS director and deputy directors and 20 members of the general public with demonstrated expertise and commitment to libraries or museums.

Marsha L. Semmel, acting director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), Mary Chute, deputy director for libraries, and other Institute staff will participate in various events during the American Library Association (ALA) annual conference in Washington, D.C. June 24-29, 2010. For a list of sessions pertaining to IMLS and IMLS-funded grants, please visit booth number 3958 on June 25-28.

Each issue of Primary Source contains brief articles that alert readers to new information about grants, monthly highlights of best practices, and important agency news with links to more detailed information on the Web site.

The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) has awarded $1,495,000 to 218 Indian tribes and Alaska Native villages and corporations as part of the Native American Library Services Basic Grant program. With this funding, the libraries will be able to strengthen their core services for the benefit of the tribal communities and villages they serve.

The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) has announced a national campaign aimed at engaging museums, libraries, and civic leaders in meeting the 21st century learning needs of their communities.