The Study’s Purpose

The Institute of Museum and Library Services has the profound responsibility to encourage a nation of learners.  Its mission is to create strong libraries and museums that connect people to information and ideas.  It must continually improve its services; it must coordinate with state and local organizations in order to sustain heritage, culture, and knowledge; it must enhance learning and innovation as well as support professional development.

To understand whether the country’s museums are being encouraged and supported in significant ways and according to the expectations set out in the Museum Services Act, IMLS has embarked upon a study to examine the mechanisms of public support for museums in the United States, including for what purpose public funds are used, and whether there are gaps between what the Institute’s authorizing legislation expects and the capacity for museums to meet their public service role. 

The Museum Services Act

Congress has established the Institute of Museum and Library Services as the primary source of federal support for the nation’s libraries and museums. Specifically through the Museum Services Act, as cited in the legislation (20 U.S.C.§9171), federal funds are directed to museums:

  • to encourage and support museums in carrying out their public service role of connecting the whole of society to the cultural, artistic, historical, natural, and scientific understandings that constitute our heritage;
  • to encourage and support museums in carrying out their educational role, as core providers of learning and in conjunction with schools, families, and communities;
  • to encourage leadership, innovation, and applications of the most current technologies and practices to enhance museum services;
  • to assist, encourage, and support museums in carrying out their stewardship responsibilities to achieve the highest standards in conservation and care of the cultural, historic, natural, and scientific heritage of the United States to benefit future generations;
  • to assist, encourage, and support museums in achieving the highest standards of management and service to the public, and to ease the financial burden borne by museums as a result of their increasing use by the public; and
  • to support resource sharing and partnerships among libraries, schools, and other community organizations.

Elements of the Museum Funding Study:

1) IMLS has entered into a cooperative agreement with the Urban Institute to examine the following questions:

  • What mechanisms are currently used to deliver public funding to museums from the federal government and the state government in selected states?
  • For what purposes are state and federal public funds allocated to museums in those states?
  • How do delivery mechanisms impact the quality of services? Are there gaps?
  • Would alternative funding models, such as a population-based state grant, make a significant impact in addressing any identified gaps in museum services?

In order to understand the universe of public funding for museums, the Urban Institute assembled data from those federal agencies which have museum programs: namely the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) , the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) , as well as NEH’s and NEA’s state programs, the National Science Foundation, and IMLS.  UI put this data together with information from its National Center for Charitable Statistics which has tracked finances of non-profit organizations for many years.  Finally UI added the taxpayer support for museums that has come directly from Congress in the form of earmarks on federal spending legislation.

In addition to assembling information regarding Federal support for museums, the Urban Institute is fielding this current on-line survey to gather detailed information about state and local support for a wide variety of museums.  UI is also conducting personal interviews in selected states to compare the impact of different funding mechanisms.  The Urban Institute will report its findings to IMLS early in 2008.

2) Regional Hearings
Using the Urban Institute findings to frame issues, IMLS will host three regional hearings to collect opinions and perspectives about the impact and effectiveness of museum services.  These hearings will invite knowledgeable people and organization representatives to share their experience and expertise with the Institute.

3) A Final Report (early summer 2008)
The findings of the study and the results of the regional hearings will be published in a final report that will include a discussion of:

  • the extent to which museums are encouraged and supported in their formal and informal education roles;
  • perspectives about the expectations of the museum-going public as well as the experiences of museum professionals; and
  • recommendations.