[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 200 (Thursday, October 16, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59641-59642]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-26181]


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NATIONAL FOUNDATION FOR THE ARTS AND THE HUMANITIES


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

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 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, Public Law 104-208. The IMLS

[[Page 59642]]

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--Focus 
Groups.
    OMB Number: n/a.
    Agency Number: 3137.
    Affected Public: Museums and Libraries that created digital 
collections with IMLS funding.
    Number of Respondents: 24 (maximum two focus groups with 12 
participants each).
    Frequency: Once.
    Estimated time per respondent: 2 hours.
    Estimated cost per respondent: $50 (2 x $25 per hour).
    Total Burden Hours: 48 hours.
    Total Annualized capital/startup costs: Zero.
    Total Annual costs: $1200 (48 x $25 per hour = $1200).
    Contact: Rebecca Danvers, Director of Research and Technology, 
Institute of Museum and Library Services, 1100 Pennsylvania Avenue, 
NW., Washington, DC 20506, telephone (202) 606-2478.

Mamie Bittner,
Director of Public and Legislative Affairs.
[FR Doc. 03-26181 Filed 10-15-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7036-01-M