FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE
January 14, 2008
Press Contact
202-653-4632 or 202-330-7736 (cell)
Jeannine Mjoseth, jmjoseth@imls.gov
To access high
resolution photos of each winner with the First Lady and
IMLS Director Anne Radice, click on the numbered links
below. High-resolution images are available for press
and public use by clicking on the thumbnail image.
Mrs. Laura Bush Recognizes Top Ten Museums and Libraries
at White House Ceremony; Receives First National Medal
Alabama, California,
Illinois, New Jersey, South Carolina, Tennessee, Washington
DC,
Oregon, and Vermont Institutions Honored
|
Mrs. Laura Bush
delivers her opening remarks. Click image for a
larger version. All photos by Bob Burgess. |
WASHINGTON, DC--Institute
of Museum and Library Services Director Anne-Imelda Radice,
PhD, bestowed on First Lady Laura Bush the first National
Medal for Museum and Library Service at the White House
January 14. Mrs. Bush deserves the newly-minted medal
for her tireless championing of the nation’s museums
and libraries, Radice said at a ceremony celebrating the
10 winners of the 2007 National Medals for Museum and
Library Service.
The National Medals are the nation’s
highest awards for museums and libraries that make exceptional
contributions to their communities. The awards are made
annually by IMLS, the primary source of federal funding
for museums and libraries, in coordination with the White
House. This is the first year that IMLS has awarded medals
to the 10 institutions along with a $10,000 prize; in
previous years, the National Medal was known as the National
Award for Museum and Library Service and was awarded to
three museums and three libraries.
Five libraries and five museums from Alabama,
California, Illinois, New Jersey, South Carolina, Tennessee,
Washington DC, Oregon, and Vermont received the National
Medals. The winners are:
- Birmingham
Civil Rights Institute, Birmingham, Alabama
- Brookfield
Zoo of the Chicago Zoological Society, Brookfield, Illinois
- Georgetown
County Library, Georgetown, South Carolina
- Kim Yerton
Branch of the Humboldt County Library, Hoopa, California
- Memphis
Public Library & Information Center, Memphis, Tennessee
- National Museum
of Women in the Arts, Washington, DC
- The Newberry
Library, Chicago, Illinois
- Ocean County
Library, Toms River, New Jersey
- Oregon Museum
of Science and Industry, Portland, Oregon
- Vermont Historical
Society, Barre, Vermont
Important Links:
Nominate
a Museum or Library for a National Medal
First
Lady Laura Bush's Full Remarks
Anne Radice's
Full Remarks
2007 National
Medals Brochure (PDF, 1MB)
Past
Winners of the National Awards for Museum and Library
Service |
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.
IMLS is grateful to AT&T for its generous
support of the White House National Medals Award Ceremony
and Symposium. The History Channel made possible the video
celebrating the Award winners. Additional support was
provided by 3M Library Systems and Metal Edge, Inc. Archival
Storage Materials.
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