FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

IMLS Press Contact
202-653-4799
Giuliana Bullard, gbullard@imls.gov

National Museum and Library Services Board To Meet November 18 in New Orleans

Board welcomes new member Lisa Funderburke Hoffman

Washington, DC— The thirty-second meeting of the National Museum and Library Services Board (NMLSB) will take place from 9:15 a.m.–2:30 p.m. on Wednesday, November 18, 2015, at the Sheraton New Orleans Hotel, 500 Canal Street, New Orleans, LA.

This will be the first board meeting to be presided over by the new IMLS Director, Dr. Kathryn K. Matthew. The board also will welcome a new member. Lisa Funderburke Hoffman is an Associate Director of the McColl Center for Art + Innovation in Charlotte, North Carolina. She replaces William J. Hagenah, who had served on the board since 2008. A full biography and photograph of Ms. Hoffman is available upon request.

IMLS Director Kathryn K. Matthew said, “With her background in the arts, education and museum management, Lisa Hoffman brings to the Board a wealth of experience and understanding of the core educational role of museums.  I look forward to working with her and hearing her insights for the important work of this board.”

The meeting will focus on collective impact in grant making.  The meeting’s featured speakers are:

• John Bracken, is vice president of the Media Innovation Program, Knight Foundation, which funds projects that improve the creation, sharing and use of information essential to communities. He supervises the Knight News Challenge: Libraries.
• Connie Yowell, the visionary and CEO of Collective Shift, a new nonprofit whose mission is to redesign social systems for the connected age. With $25 million in seed funding from the MacArthur Foundation, Collective Shift’s first project is LRNG, which is creating a 21st century ecosystem of learning that combines in-school, out-of-school, work-based, and online learning opportunities that are visible and accessible to all.

The meeting is open to the public. Those wishing to attend should R.S.V.P. to Katherine Maas, kmaas@imls.gov.

About the National Museum and Library Services Board
The National Museum and Library Services Board is an advisory body that includes the director and deputy directors of Institute of Museum and Library Service and twenty presidentially appointed members of the general public who have demonstrated expertise in, or commitment to, library or museum services. Informed by its collectively vast experience and knowledge, the board advises the IMLS director on general policy and practices, and on selections for the National Medals 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 123,000 libraries and 35,000 museums. Our mission is to inspire libraries and museums to advance innovation, lifelong learning, and cultural and civic engagement. Our grant making, policy development, and research help libraries and museums deliver valuable services that make it possible for communities and individuals to thrive. To learn more, visit www.imls.gov and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.