FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 9, 2008

IMLS Press Contacts
202-653-4632
Jeannine Mjoseth, jmjoseth@imls.gov
Mamie Bittner, mbittner@imls.gov

IMLS Convenes Task Force to Define 21st Century Skills
for Museums and Libraries

Ken Kay, CEO of e-Luminate, facilitates discussion among task force members on the role museums and libraries play in helping communities develop 21st century skills. Click for larger view.

Washington, DC—Library and museum leaders met September 4 to brainstorm on the skills that contemporary and future learners need to thrive in the 21st century and how museums and libraries can support development of those skills. The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), which hosted the meeting, is conducting the year-long initiative with help from the e-Luminate Group, an education consulting firm.

“This is the first national effort to advance the role of libraries and museums in the development of such 21st century skills as information, communications, and technology literacy, creativity and problem solving, civic literacy, and global awareness,” said Anne-Imelda M. Radice, IMLS Director. “After assessing where they are today, museums and libraries can begin to modify programs, services, and activities to emphasize the techniques that are needed for an engaged citizenry and competitive workforce.”

Through a series of meetings and outreach, IMLS is developing a report that will provide leaders in museums and libraries, schools, and government information on the role of cultural institutions in promoting 21st century skills to various audiences. The report will provide suggestions, guidelines, case studies, and resources to help libraries and museums identify and integrate 21st century skills into their programs. The report will be accompanied by an online assessment tool that will help institutions determine where they are today and the steps they must take to promote 21st century skills for lifelong learners, including K-12. The report and assessment tool will be available in late spring 2009.

Task force members are experienced leaders representing a broad range of museum and library types who have addressed the need for 21st century skills in their own institutions. They are charged with defining critical elements of the 21st century skills as they relate to museums and libraries, identifying elements that museums and libraries now deliver that can be leveraged to deliver the 21st century skills, and articulating key opportunities that libraries and museums can use to promote 21st century skills. The taskforce, which met July 29 and will meet again in January, includes the following members:

About the Institute of Museum and Library Services
The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation’s 122,000 libraries and 17,500 museums. The Institute's mission is to create strong libraries and museums that connect people to information and ideas. The Institute works at the national level and in coordination with state and local organizations to sustain heritage, culture, and knowledge; enhance learning and innovation; and support professional development. To learn more about the Institute, please visit www.imls.gov.

About e-Luminate Group
e-Luminate Group is an education consulting firm specializing in marketing communications, marketing and 21st century skills services. Based in Washington, D.C. and Tucson, Arizona, our expertise builds on over ten years of success in helping companies and organizations gain visibility and market leadership. From K-12 to higher education to workforce development and beyond, our services deliver the best possible results for our clients. Representative clients include: Apex Learning, Blackboard, Dell, LeapFrog School, LearningStation, NEA Member Benefits, and the Partnership for 21st Century Skills. To learn more about e-Luminate Group, please visit www.e-luminategroup.com.