Libraries, Their Role And Relationship To Other Cultural Institutions

Robert S. Martin, Ph.D.

Director
Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS)
Washington, DC

3 February 2003

9:00-9:30 Coffee and Doughnuts
9:30-11:00 Presentation

OCLC Auditorium
6565 Frantz Road
Dublin, OH 43017

Dr. Robert Martin, director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services, will discuss librarianship, the distinctive role of libraries in the communities they serve, and how they relate to museums, archives, and other cultural institutions.

An innovative thinker and engaging speaker, Dr. Martin will consider these issues in the context of IMLS and its role as a federal grant-making agency promoting leadership, innovation, and lifetime learning through support for libraries and museums across the nation. Consistent with this role, IMLS manages a variety of programs that support research and encourage innovation.

Background information:

The principal focus of IMLS is to articulate the educational mission of libraries and museums and to express the important role they play in developing a new learning society for the 21st century, particularly by supporting and enhancing education and providing information for daily living. The mission of IMLS is to support the efforts of libraries and museums to improve and enhance the services they provide to their communities.

Robert Martin was nominated director of IMLS by the President of the United States and confirmed by the Senate in July of 2001. Prior to his appointment, he was Professor and Interim Director of the School of Library and Information Studies at Texas Woman's University. From 1995 to 1999, he served as Director and Librarian of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission. In addition, Dr. Martin has held positions at Louisiana State University, the University of Texas at Arlington, the University of Texas at Austin, and the University of Wisconsin at Madison.

Dr. Martin is a librarian, archivist, administrator, and educator. He has authored several publications and served on editorial boards of scholarly library journals such as American Archivist, Library Quarterly, Libraries and Culture and Meridian. He has held elected and appointed roles in professional library and archives organizations, and has been honored for his contributions. Among his many awards is the Justin Winsor Prize from the American Library Association.

Robert S. Martin's biography:

IMLS Website:

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