National Planning for Library and Information Services in the US: The Role of the US Institute of Museum and Library Services

Abstract

Planning for library services in the United States is extremely decentralized. The article examines three federal agencies in the United States with a potential role in planning and coordinating library services: the Library of Congress, the National Commission on Library and Information Science (NCLIS), and the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). The principal function of the Library of Congress is to serve as the primary source of library resources and services to the Congress of the United States. Over the years, however, the mission of the Library of Congress has expanded to serve the nation as a whole. NCLIS was created in 1970 with the charge to advise Congress and the President on matters related to library and information services, however it does not undertake planning of library services at the national level. IMLS is an independent federal agency that now serves as the primary source of federal grants for the nation's libraries and museums. Since the vast majority of all funding for libraries of all types is local, the federal role in the United States has therefore been limited to leveraging state and local support, and to fostering the development of standards and best practices and supporting leadership and education for the profession of librarianship. State Five-Year Plans submitted to IMLS in order to qualify for funding under the state grant program constitute, in aggregate, a de facto national plan for library services.