2007 IMLS National Leadership Grant Recipient

The Institute of Museum and Library Services
 In Fall of 2007, Portland State University was awarded a National Leadership Grant from the The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) for a Demonstration Project, "Using the Learner Web to Enhance Library-Community Collaboration on Adult Literacy." This was the first large grant that Learner Web received. Support from this grant has enabled several essential developments:

  • The web-based software platform was re-designed with scalable architecture, adding important new functionalities and a plan for distributing it under open source license by the end of the grant period.
  • Standards have been developed for Learning Plans, the content units for the Learner Web platform. A large catalog of Learning Plans has been created in diverse content areas that are being shared via Creative Commons license.
  • A community of Learner Web content developers and implementation partners has evolved, consisting initially of grant project partners from the multi-state demonstration project. Additional partners have joined, extending the geographical reach and content development capacity of the community.
    Additional grants from the U.S. Department of Commerce and EDUCAUSE have further extended the
  • National Leadership Grant's impact, serving learners over a broad continuum of skill levels, ranging from digital literacy learners on one end to postsecondary students on the other end.
  • Successful models of community collaboration have been demonstrated, linking libraries, education and social services.

National Leadership Grants help libraries and museums collaborate, build digital resources, and conduct research and demonstration projects. The selected projects are national models that will help foster individual achievement, community responsibility, and life-long learning. National Leadership Grants support projects that have the potential to elevate museum, archival, and library practice within the context of national strategic initiatives. The Institute seeks to advance the ability of museums, archives, and libraries to preserve culture, heritage, and knowledge, contribute to building technology infrastructures and information technology services, and provide 21st century knowledge and skills to current and future generations in support of a world-class workforce.

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. Its mission is to grow and sustain a "Nation of Learners" because life-long learning is essential to a democratic society and individual success. Through its grant making, convenings, research and publications, the Institute empowers museums and libraries nationwide to provide leadership and services to enhance learning in families and communities, sustain cultural heritage, build twenty-first-century skills, and increase civic participation. To learn more about the Institute, please visit: http://www.imls.gov.