Please find here notice of a useful publication for those of us who build digital collections and services that have a K-12 component, and especially for those of us who include such claims in grant applications. David ******************************************************* FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 1, 2005 Press Contacts 202/653-4632 Eileen Maxwell [log in to unmask] Mamie Bittner [log in to unmask] New IMLS Publication: Charting the Landscape/Mapping New Paths: Museums, Libraries, and K-12 Education WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) has released a report on how museums and libraries bolster K-12 education and lifelong learning in communities across the Nation. "Charting the Landscape, Mapping New Paths: Museums, Libraries, and K-12 Learning," is based on a workshop the Institute hosted August 30-31, 2004 at which more than seventy educators, researchers, policymakers, and museum and library professionals examined K-12 collaborations among their organizations. As the report notes, workshop participants agreed that in the 21st century, a competitive and successful society will require people who never stop learning. It is essential, therefore, to build a foundation for lifelong learning during the elementary and secondary school years. The responsibility for building that foundation and nurturing lifelong learning does not rest with schools alone but cuts across institutional boundaries to include museums, libraries, and other community organizations. "Congress charges the agency to encourage museum and libraries in carrying out their educational role as core providers of learning in conjunction with schools, families, and communities," writes Dr. Robert S. Martin, Director of IMLS, "With that mandate, IMLS possesses a unique vantage point for bridging these communities and convening them." Three key challenges to developing a "learning society" with museum, library, and school partnerships as a central element of that society emerged from the workshop: * Successfully redefining education as a lifetime endeavor; * Understanding the changing nature of professional roles; * Moving beyond anecdotal evidence to show what works. Workshop participants also identified steps that practitioners, policy-makers, and museum and library professionals and educators should take to support such a society: * Build a community of practice by creating a clearinghouse of best practices, funding innovative partnerships, and developing tools for convening stakeholders. * Build better relationships with education policy-makers, education associations, and parent and community organizations at the federal, state and local level. * Support research and evaluation that examines the impact of museums and libraries on K-12 formal and informal learning. The report highlights projects and partnerships and can be used as a tool to lay a foundation for understanding the power of museum, library, school, and community collaborations in cultivating lifelong learning societies. It includes an appendix of selected resources, most of which are available online and a useful glossary of terms used throughout the workshop. To obtain free copies of the report, email the Institute of Museum and Library Services at [log in to unmask], or access it electronically from the agency's Web site at: http://www.imls.gov/pubs/pdf/Charting_the_Landscape.pdf The Institute of Museum and Library Services is an independent federal grant-making agency dedicated to creating and sustaining a nation of learners by helping libraries and museums serve their communities. The Institute fosters leadership, innovation, and a lifetime of learning by supporting the nation's 15,000 museums and 122,000 libraries. The Institute also encourages partnerships to expand the educational benefit of libraries and museums. To learn more about the Institute, please visit http://www.imls.gov. 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) [log in to unmask] Subscribe to Primary Source, the IMLS monthly e-mail newsletter, for important museum and library news: http://www.imls.gov/utility/subscribe.htm.