FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 13, 2005

Press Contacts
202-653-4632 
Eileen Maxwell, [log in to unmask]
Mamie Bittner, [log in to unmask]

Dr. Robert S. Martin Completes Term as Director of the Institute of
Museum and Library Services

Washington, DC-Dr. Robert S. Martin completed his four-year term as
Director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS)
yesterday. Dr. Martin was nominated by the President of the United
States to be Director of IMLS in June 2001; the U.S. Senate subsequently
confirmed his nomination by unanimous consent. During his tenure, IMLS
has awarded 4,704 grants to America's museums and libraries totaling
more than $899 million.

A librarian, archivist, educator, and administrator, Dr. Martin was
Professor and Interim Director of the School of Library and Information
Studies at Texas Women's University (TWU) prior to his appointment at
IMLS. From 1995 to 1999, he was Director and Librarian of the Texas
State Library and Archives Commission. Dr. Martin will return to work at
the Denton campus of TWU on September 1, 2006 where he has been named
the Lillian Bradshaw Endowed Chair in Library Science.

Since Dr. Martin assumed the directorship of IMLS, the agency's budget
has increased from $232,321,000 to $280,564,000. In addition, in
September 2003, President George W. Bush signed the Museum and Library
Services Act of 2003 reauthorizing the agency through 2009. The
legislation received bi-partisan support from Congress and enthusiastic
backing from the library and museum communities. 

"I have been extremely fortunate to have had the opportunity to serve
IMLS during a period of extraordinary support for libraries and museums
from both the Administration and Congress," said Dr. Martin.
"Fundamental in the success of our efforts at IMLS, of course, has been
the outstanding work that so many libraries and museum professionals do
in simply serving their communities. Every day they demonstrate the
undeniable value of libraries and museums through the resources and
services they provide to the American people. My heartfelt gratitude
goes to the Administration, particularly our First Lady and First
Librarian Laura Bush, the Congress, and the library and museum
communities."

Under Dr. Martin's leadership, IMLS launched a new multi-million dollar
grant program (over $22 million in FY 2005) to recruit and educate the
next generation of librarians. Since First Lady Laura Bush announced the
President would support the recruitment initiative in 2002 to offset a
looming national shortage of library professionals due to retirement,
IMLS has funded 1,537 master's degree students, 119 doctoral students,
660 pre-professional students, and 378 continuing education students.
Dr. Martin also co-hosted with Mrs. Bush two seminal White House
conferences, one on school libraries and the other on libraries,
museums, and lifelong learning. 

In 2004, Dr. Martin made the inaugural grants for "Museums for America,"
the agency's largest grant program for museums. These grants sustain
heritage, support lifelong learning, and provide centers for community
engagement at the nation's museums. And, this fall the first research
grants for museums as well as the first recipients of the new 21st
Century Museum Professionals grant program, will be announced.

IMLS has continued and strengthened its commitment to research during
Dr. Martin's tenure. True Needs, True Partners, a 2001 study of museums'
work with schools, found that America's museums spend more than $1
billion annually and provide more than 18 million instructional hours
every year on K-12 education. In 2002, IMLS published the first-ever
report on the Status of Technology and Digitization in the Nation's
Museums and Libraries. And, published this June, the Museum Data
Collection Report and Analysis, provides the most up-to-date research of
data collection practices in the nation's museums. Dr. Martin's emphasis
on accounting for results and measuring impact has led IMLS to promote
outcomes-based evaluation among its grantees and develop a series of
user-friendly tools and aids to prospective grantees, including an
online project planning tutorial. 

Strategic partnerships figured prominently in Dr. Martin's vision for
IMLS, and he involved the agency in several interagency collaborations
including a recent partnership with the Corporation for Public
Broadcasting. Under Dr. Martin's leadership, IMLS took on a principal
role in representing the United States in international discussions of
libraries and museums. He assisted in drafting the ministerial statement
for the first-ever U.N. World Summit on the Information Society in
Geneva, Switzerland in 2003. In 2004, Dr. Martin headed the U.S.
delegation to the organization of American States Intergovernmental
Meeting of Ministers of Culture in Mexico City. Later that year, he
served as co-head of the U.S. delegation to the UNESCO Intergovernmental
Meeting on Cultural Diversity in Paris.

IMLS has taken a leadership role under Dr. Martin's leadership in
identifying best practices for the creation, management, and
preservation of digital resources, and in disseminating these practices
throughout the library, archives, and museum communities. Since 2000,
IMLS has sponsored an annual Web-Wise conference to share the latest
research and newest inventions in digital technology.

Until the President nominates and the Senate confirms a new director,
IMLS Deputy Director Mary Chute <<http://www.imls.gov/about/mchute.htm>>
will administer the day-to-day operations of the agency as Acting
Director. The Museum and Library Services Act (P.L. 104-208) provides
that the presidentially-appointed Senate-confirmed Director of the
Institute of Museum and Library Services shall rotate between an
individual with library and information service expertise and an
individual with museum service expertise. The next presidential
appointee to be Director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services
will have expertise in museum services and will be appointed for a four
year term.

Eileen Maxwell
Public Affairs Officer
Institute of Museum and Library Services
1800 M Street, NW
9th Floor
Washington, DC  20036-5802
202-653-4632
202-653-4600(fax)
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