FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 16, 2009

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

Picturing America Kits Awarded to Nearly 1,300 Public Libraries

Washington, DC—Anne-Imelda M. Radice, Director of the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), is pleased to announce that 1,288 public libraries have just been selected to receive Picturing America, a free kit of teaching resources. Picturing America, presented by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) in partnership with IMLS and others,* provides high-quality reproductions of great American art to public libraries and K-12 schools to enhance the study of history, social studies, language arts, literature, and civics.

“Public libraries are ideal homes for Picturing America. Through this nationwide library network, all people will have access to American art that can teach us so much,” said Radice, noting that since the program began in 2008, more than 3,500 public libraries have received Picturing America.

In the spring, awardees will receive:

• forty large, high-quality color reproductions of the selected masterpieces (24” x 36”);
• a comprehensive teacher’s resource book providing a wide range of ideas and background information to support educators using the works of art in core subject areas; and
• lesson plans and additional resources available through the Picturing America Web site, http://PicturingAmerica.neh.gov

Public libraries were among the 29,086 Picturing America recipients from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and three U.S. territories. Picturing America has now been awarded to a total of 56,000 schools and public libraries, incorporating approximately one third of all K-12 schools and public libraries in the United States. This figure includes major school districts, home school consortia, and Head Start centers. IMLS’s support of this partnership will help to build the capacity of public and school librarians to use the Picturing America materials in a variety of programs for the benefit of their communities.

A complete list of today’s recipient schools and public libraries, by city and state, is available at the Picturing America Web site at: http://picturingamerica.neh.gov/public_awards.php.

*Other Picturing America partners include the American Library Association, the Office of Head Start, the National Park Service, the Department of Defense Education Activity, the U.S. Department of State, The History Channel, and the National Trust for the Humanities.

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 the National Endowment for the Humanities
The National Endowment for the Humanities is an independent grant-making agency of the United States government dedicated to supporting research, education, preservation, and public programs in the humanities. The study of the humanities — history, literature, philosophy, and the arts — helps us explore what it means to be human.  The humanities enable us to understand the world and our place in it. To learn more about the National Endowment for the Humanities, please visit www.neh.gov.