Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions

Floor Speech

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Mr. REED. Mr. President, today I am pleased to be joined by my colleagues on the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee--Chairman Harkin, Ranking Member Enzi, and Senator Burr in introducing the Museum and Library Services Act of 2010.

Together our offices worked to craft a bipartisan bill that updates museum and library services funded through the Institute for Museum and Library Services, IMLS, to better meet the needs of Americans of all ages and in all types of locations.

The Museum and Library Services Act was first enacted in 1996, and my predecessor, the late Senator Claiborne Pell, was instrumental in its development and enactment. This law established IMLS, an independent Federal agency, to oversee funding and programs authorized under the law's two main subtitles, the Library Services and Technology Act, LSTA, and the Museum Services Act.

Libraries and museums are rich centers of learning, woven into the fabric of our communities, big and small, urban and rural.

Libraries are not just places to read and borrow books or for parents to bring their children for story time. During the economic recession, even as libraries are being forced to do more with less, more and more people are also turning to their public libraries for access to information and the Internet, job search and training programs, and business development help.

As noted in the new report, ``Opportunity for All: How the American Public Benefits from Internet Access at U.S. Libraries,'' nearly half of the 169 million visitors to public libraries over the past year used a library computer to connect to the Internet during their visit. Accessing information on education, employment, and health were most commonly cited for this computer and Internet usage.

Museums also provide 21st century learning opportunities, while connecting communities to the culture, science, art, and events that make up humankind's history. The estimated 17,500 museums in the United States reflect the great diversity of our nation. They are large and small; urban and rural; local, national, and international; and include aquariums, arboretums, historical societies, nature centers, zoos, planetariums, art museums, and many other types of museums.

Museums contribute to the quality of life and the economic development of their home communities. They are key partners in offering hands-on, self directed learning for students of all ages. They draw tourism, which contributes to local economies.

The Museum and Library Services Act represents our national commitment to these institutions that are essential to building strong and vibrant communities. Through a relatively modest federal investment, this law helps build capacity to support and expand access to library and museum services at the state and local level.

In Rhode Island, library funding 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. Through museum funding, the Museum of Art at the Rhode Island School of Design, the Preservation Society of Newport, and the Blithewold Mansion, Gardens, and Arboretum have all received support this past year.

The legislation we are introducing updates the law to reflect the education and workforce development role libraries have been playing, including helping the out-of-work look for jobs, equipping business owners with data to make informed business decisions, and helping young and old alike gain critical digital literacy skills--the skills that help to discern fact from fiction when using the Internet.

Our bill will also help enhance training and professional development for librarians and ensure the development of a diverse library workforce, including by authorizing the Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian program, which has been previously funded through annual appropriations.

It will help build state capacity to support museums by authorizing IMLS to support state assessments of museum services and the development and implementation of state plans to improve and enhance those services. Our bill will also strengthen conservation and preservation efforts.

Additionally, it seeks to fully leverage the role of libraries and museums in supporting the learning, educational, and workforce development needs of Americans by requiring IMLS to improve coordination and collaboration with other federal agencies that also have an interest in and responsibilities for the improvement of museum and libraries and information services.

I thank my colleagues for joining me in this endeavor and urge the Senate to take quick action to adopt this important legislation.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record...

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