Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions

Floor Speech

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Mr. REED. Mr. President, I am pleased to be joined by Senators Collins, Cochran, and Gillibrand in introducing legislation to renew the law that expands the reach of libraries and museums and enables them to better serve their communities. These vital institutions educate, inform, engage, and connect people from all walks of life.

This year marks several milestones for library and museum programs at the Federal level. Sixty years ago, in 1956, Congress passed legislation to establish the first Federal program of direct support to public libraries, with the goal of expanding access. Forty years ago, in 1976, Congress established the Institute of Museum Services to provide assistance to museums, including for exhibits and conservation, educational programs, and professional curatorial training. In the following years, the programs were updated and renewed many times to addressing evolving needs for library and museum services. Twenty years ago, in 1996, Congress passed the Museum and Library Services Act, establishing the Institute of Museum and Library Services, IMLS, to house the library and museum programs together for the first time. My predecessor, the late Senator Claiborne Pell, a great champion for expanding educational and cultural opportunities to all communities, was instrumental in passage of this law. The Senate Committee report for this bill noted the ``great potential in an Institute that is focused on the combined roles that libraries and museums play in our community life, in support of research, learning, and entertainment, and in support of American culture and history.''

We have seen this borne out over the last 20 years. Through a relatively modest Federal investment, IMLS has helped build capacity to support and expand access to library and museum services at the State and local levels. IMLS has been the source of major Federal support for the full range of libraries, including public, academic, research, special, and tribal libraries--123,000 across the country--and the full range of museums, including art, history, science and technology, children's, historical societies, tribal, planetariums, botanic gardens, and zoos--35,000 across the country. We have seen access to libraries and museums increase all the while these institutions have striven to meet the ever-evolving needs of their communities.

In Rhode Island, IMLS funding for the grants to States program under the Library Services and Technology Act, LSTA, has supported improved online resources; literacy initiatives, including a summer reading program; and the provision of talking books to residents with visual impairments and disabilities. This year, Providence Public Library was awarded a nearly $530,000 National Leadership Grant to provide underserved teens with learning opportunities, leading to digital credentials, academic credit, exposure to work, and entry into education and career pathways. IMLS has also supported and elevated the work of Rhode Island museums. I was so pleased that the Tomaquag Museum in Exeter was one of ten recipients nationally to be recognized with a 2016 National Medal for Museum and Library Service. The Providence Children's Museum and the Preservation Society of Newport County also received grants to support their work this year.

I have been proud to continue the work of Senator Pell in supporting robust funding for libraries and museums and authoring the last two renewals of the Museum and Library Services Act. I have seen firsthand the impact libraries and museums have had on our communities in Rhode Island and the residents and visitors they serve, making our State stronger because of the services and experiences that these institutions provide.

The museum and library communities have provided invaluable input in helping us craft this bipartisan legislation. I would especially like to thank the Rhode Island library community for hosting me at libraries across the state and convening a roundtable discussion in June to delve deeper into the programs libraries are providing and ways to improve how they serve their communities.

In response to the input and insight offered by the library and museum communities, the bill we are introducing today, the Museum and Library Services Act of 2016, requires the use of data-driven tools to measure the impact and maximize the effectiveness of library and museum services and better tailor services to address and meet community needs. The legislation provides for technical support and assistance to help the library and museum fields with their data collection responsibilities. It also enhances IMLS's collaborative efforts with an expanded number of Federal agencies in order to fully leverage the benefits libraries and museums provide to Americans.

This legislation also amends LSTA to highlight the role of libraries as community hubs, through services and programming in such areas as literacy, education, lifelong learning, workforce development, economic and business development, digital literacy skills, critical thinking, financial literacy skills, and new and emerging technology. The bill provides greater emphasis on recruiting and training of the next generation of library and information science professionals from diverse and underrepresented backgrounds. Additionally, it seeks to focus leadership grant funds on activities that serve a range of library types and geographically diverse areas; have evaluation, analysis, and dissemination components; and involve, impact, or have future applicability in libraries.

In 1964, when signing an expansion of library programs into law, President Lyndon Baines Johnson remarked, ``Libraries are not just for the young and the curious about an exciting world. They are not just for our youth preparing for their careers. They are not just for busy people looking for information to do their jobs. Libraries are for everyone and therein lies their real value.'' The changes we are contemplating in this reauthorization bill are designed to continue fulfilling this promise and update the law not only to account for activities that are currently underway but also to look ahead and provide flexibility for libraries to constantly respond to changing demands and missions.

The Museum and Library Services Act of 2016 also builds on the 40- year legacy of Federal support for improving and expanding access to museum services. It addresses the critical need for professional development and recruiting and preparing the next generation of museum professionals, emphasizing diversity so that museums better reflect the communities they serve. The legislation also highlights the educational role of museums and the diverse ways that museums engage their communities, and it encourages partnerships with other agencies, professional networks, and community-based organizations to expand and enhance access to museum services.

At this year's National Medal for Museum and Library Service ceremony, First Lady Michelle Obama captured why it is so vital that we continue to support libraries and museums on a national level: ``Day after day, year after year, our nation's libraries and museums are here for our communities. And at the end of the day, you all don't measure your impact by the number of books on your shelves or pieces in your exhibits, but by the young people you inspire, the lives you transform, and the impact you have every single day on your communities.''

The Museum and Library Services Act of 2016 will continue our tradition of supporting our communities through their museums and libraries. It has the support of the American Library Association and the American Alliance of Museums and many of their affiliated associations. I thank my colleagues for supporting this endeavor and look forward to more joining us as we work together to urge swift action to adopt this important legislation.

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