[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 209 (Thursday, December 21, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Pages S8262-S8263]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. REED (for himself, Ms. Collins, Mr. Cochran, Mrs. 
        Gillibrand, and Ms. Murkowski):
  S. 2271. A bill to reauthorize the Museum and Library Services Act; 
to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
  Mr. REED. Mr. President, I am pleased to be joined by Senators 
Collins, Cochran, Gillibrand, and Murkowski in introducing legislation 
to renew the law that expands the reach of libraries and museums and 
enables them to better serve their communities. These vital 
institutions educate, inform, engage, and connect people from all walks 
of life.
  In 1996, Congress passed the Museum and Library Services Act, 
establishing the Institute of Museum and Library Services, IMLS, to 
house our Nation's library and museum programs together for the first 
time. My predecessor, the late Senator Claiborne Pell, a great champion 
for expanding educational and cultural opportunities to all 
communities, was instrumental in passage of this law. The Senate 
Committee report for this bill noted the ``great potential in an 
Institute that is focused on the combined roles that libraries and 
museums play in our community life, in support of research, learning, 
and entertainment, and in support of American culture and history.''
  Over the last 21 years we have seen IMLS, with a relatively modest 
Federal investment, build the capacity to support and expand access to 
library and museum services at the State and local levels. IMLS has 
been the source of major Federal support for nearly 120,000 libraries, 
including public, academic, research, special, and tribal libraries, 
and 35,000 museums, including art, history, science and technology, 
children's, historical societies, tribal, planetariums, botanic 
gardens, and zoos. We have seen access to libraries and museums 
increase, and these institutions continue to evolve as community hubs, 
advancing the growth and vitality of the areas they serve.
  In Rhode Island, IMLS funding for the grants to States program under 
the Library Services and Technology Act, LSTA, has supported improved 
online resources; literacy initiatives, including a summer reading 
program; and the provision of talking books to residents with visual 
impairments and disabilities. Providence Public Library was awarded a 
recent grant to provide underserved teens with learning opportunities, 
leading to digital credentials, academic credit, exposure to work, and 
entry into education and career pathways. IMLS has also supported and 
elevated the work of Rhode Island museums. For instance, the Tomaquag 
Museum in Exeter was one of ten recipients nationally to be recognized 
with a 2016 National Medal for Museum and Library Service. The 
Providence Children's Museum and the Preservation Society of Newport 
County also received grants to support their work in recent years.
  I have been proud to continue the work of Senator Pell in supporting 
robust funding for libraries and museums and authoring the last two 
renewals of the Museum and Library Services Act. I have seen firsthand 
the impact libraries and museums have had on our communities in Rhode 
Island and the residents and visitors they serve, making our State 
stronger because of the services and experiences that these 
institutions provide.
  The museum and library communities have provided invaluable input in 
helping us craft this bipartisan legislation. I would especially like 
to thank the Rhode Island library community for hosting me at libraries 
across the state and convening a roundtable discussion last year to 
delve deeper into the programs libraries are providing and ways to 
improve how they serve their communities.
  In response to the input and insight offered by the library and 
museum communities, the bill we are introducing today, the Museum and 
Library Services Act of 2017, strengthens the use of data-driven tools 
to measure the impact and maximize the effectiveness of library and 
museum services and better tailor local services to address and meet 
community needs. The legislation provides for technical support and 
assistance to improve data collection. It also enhances IMLS's 
collaborative efforts with an expanded number of Federal agencies in 
order to fully leverage the benefits libraries and museums provide to 
Americans.
  This legislation also amends LSTA to highlight the role of libraries 
as community hubs, equipped to provide services and programming in such 
areas as literacy, education, lifelong learning, workforce development, 
economic and business development, digital literacy skills, critical 
thinking, financial literacy skills, and new and emerging technology. 
The bill provides greater emphasis on recruiting and training the next 
generation of library and information science professionals from 
diverse and underrepresented backgrounds. Additionally, it focuses 
leadership grant funds on activities that serve a range of library 
types and geographically diverse areas; have evaluation, analysis, and 
dissemination components; and involve, impact, or have future 
applicability in libraries. And, in the aftermath of this past year's 
devastating hurricanes and wildfires, the bill clarifies that grant 
funds can be used to help libraries get resources back online as 
communities face the challenge of recovering from a disaster.
  The Museum and Library Services Act of 2017 also builds on the over 
40-year legacy of Federal support for improving and expanding access to 
museum services. It addresses the critical need for professional 
development and recruiting and preparing the next generation of museum 
professionals, emphasizing diversity so that museums better reflect the 
communities they serve. The legislation also highlights the educational 
role of museums and the diverse ways that museums engage their 
communities, and it encourages partnerships with other agencies, 
professional networks, and community-based organizations to expand and 
enhance access to museum services.
  The Museum and Library Services Act of 2017 will continue our 
tradition of supporting our communities through their museums and 
libraries, while looking ahead and providing flexibility for these 
vital institutions to respond to changing demands and missions. Our 
bill has the support of the American Library Association and the 
American Alliance of Museums and many of their affiliated associations. 
I thank my colleagues for supporting this endeavor

[[Page S8263]]

and look forward to more joining us as we work together to urge swift 
action to adopt this important legislation.
  Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, I rise to join my colleague from Rhode 
Island, Senator Reed, in introducing the Museum and Library Services 
Act of 2017. This bill would reauthorize the core programs administered 
by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), which support 
libraries and museums in Maine and across the country. This bill 
includes important updates to improve the abilities of libraries and 
museums to meet the needs of local communities.
  The Museum and Library Services Act represents a commitment to 
supporting libraries and museums that enrich our communities. Libraries 
provide not only a wonderful learning tool, full of books, public 
documents, and internet access, but also are community hubs where 
citizens can meet to share and explore ideas. Likewise, great museums 
do more than accumulate artifacts--they tell stories. The programs 
reauthorized in this bill would help libraries and museums across Maine 
and the United States better serve the public by helping with research, 
planning, and programming.
  The Museum and Library Services Act would make important improvements 
to IMLS's ability to collaborate with states and communities. It would 
reauthorize the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA), the only 
federal program that helps public libraries meet their community's 
needs, enhance their services through technology, reach underserved and 
rural populations, and recruit new professionals to the library field. 
Ensuring that federal resources reach our rural communities is 
particularly important to me, and I am pleased that this bill 
highlights support for rural and tribal areas.
  Every state in our country receives its share of the LSTA, which 
leverages the federal investment with a state and local funding match. 
In Maine, the LSTA has helped libraries lend books and other materials 
by mail to reach residents in communities that do not have libraries 
nearby or who are homebound. It has helped Maine libraries serve 
individuals with disabilities through access to book recordings and 
special media players, including braille and audio downloads. It has 
helped my state improve online access to magazines, newspapers, and 
reference books, and spurred innovative collaborations with schools 
statewide.
  The bill would also reauthorize the Museum Services Act, providing 
support for museums to collaborate with schools, libraries, and 
colleges and universities, and to encourage new technologies to extend 
the reach of programs and museum collections. As with the LSTA, museums 
are incentivized to leverage other sources of support to match the 
federal investment.
  This reauthorization underscores the role that libraries and museums 
play in community revitalization. Libraries are important information 
centers for workforce development, health information, and digital and 
financial literacy. Museums are also vital community partners that work 
to connect our communities to the cultural, historical, natural, and 
scientific pieces of our heritage.
  From providing job search resources and free internet access to 
exposing children and families to enriching literary and educational 
experiences, libraries and museums serve vital roles in our 
communities. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.
                                 ______