[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 200 (Thursday, October 16, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59640-59641]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-26180]


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NATIONAL FOUNDATION FOR THE ARTS AND THE HUMANITIES


Proposed Collection, Comment Request, of IMLS Funded Digital 
Collections and Content--Collection Registry

AGENCY: Institute of Museum and Library Services, NFAH.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Institute of Museum and Library Services as part of its 
continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burdens, conducts 
a preclearance consultation program to

[[Page 59641]]

provide the general public and federal agencies with an opportunity to 
comment on proposed and/or continuing collections of information in 
accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA95) (44 U.S.C. 
3508(2)(A)). This program helps to ensure that requested data can be 
provided in the desired format, reporting burden (time and financial 
resources) is minimized, collection instruments are clearly understood, 
and the impact of collection requirements on respondents can be 
properly assessed. Currently the Institute of Museum and Library 
Services is soliciting comments concerning the proposed study of IMLS 
Funded Digital Collections and Content.
    A copy of the proposed information collection request can be 
obtained by contacting the individual listed below in the ADDRESSES 
section of this notice.

DATES: Written comments must be submitted to the office listed in the 
ADDRESSES section below on or before December 15, 2003.
    IMLS is particularly interested in comments that help the agency 
to:
    [sbull] Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is 
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, 
including whether the information will have practical utility;
    [sbull] Evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the 
burden of the proposed collection of information including the validity 
of the methodology and assumptions used;
    [sbull] Enhance the quality, utility and clarity of the information 
to be collected; and
    [sbull] Minimize the burden of the collection of information on 
those who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate 
automated electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection 
techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g. permitting 
electronic submissions of responses.

ADDRESSES: Send comments to: Martha Crawley, Senior Program Officer, 
Institute of Museum and Library Services, 1100 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., 
Room 802, Washington, DC 20506. Ms. Crawley can be reached on 
Telephone: (202) 606-5513, Fax: (202) 606-1077 or by e-mail at 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    The Institute of Museum and Library Services is an independent 
Federal grant-making agency authorized by the Museum and Library 
Services Act, Pub. L. 104-208. The IMLS provides a variety of grant 
programs to assist the nation's museums and libraries in improving 
their operations and enhancing their services to the public. Museums 
and libraries of all sizes and types may receive support from IMLS 
programs. In the National Leadership Grant Program, IMLS funds the 
digitization of library and museum collections. This study is to 
determine the feasibility of using the Open Archives Initiative (OAI) 
metadata harvesting protocol to aggregate and provide integrated item-
level search access to the collections that Institute of Museum and 
Library Services funding has helped to digitize through the National 
Leadership Grant program and to create a collection level registry of 
those collections.
    Agency: Institute of Museum and Library Services.
    Title: Study of IMLS Funded Digital Collections and Content.
    OMB Number: n/a.
    Agency Number: 3137.
    Affected Public: Museums and Libraries that created digital 
collections with IMLS funding.
    Number of Respondents: All institutions that digitize collections 
with IMLS National Leadership Grant Funds.
    Frequency: One time.
    Estimated time per respondent: 30 minutes.
    Estimated cost per respondent: $12.50 (30 minutes x $25 hour).
    Total Burden Hours: 77 hours (94 respondents plus about 60 from 
2003, 2004, 2005 grants).
    Total annualized capital/startup costs: Zero.
    Total annual costs: $962.50.
    Contact: Mamie Bittner, Director of Public and Legislative Affairs, 
Institute of Museum and Library Services, 1100 Pennsylvania Avenue, 
NW., Washington, DC 20506, telephone (202) 606-4648.

    Dated: October 9, 2003.
Mamie Bittner,
Director of Public and Legislative Affairs.
[FR Doc. 03-26180 Filed 10-15-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7036-01-M