The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is committed to bringing together
museums and libraries across the country for conversations dedicated to developing a
better understanding of the roles of libraries and museums as providers of public service
to communities. The Future of Libraries and Museums in the 21 st Century Planning Meeting,
which took place July 7–8, 2008, in Washington, D.C., was convened by the National
Academy of Sciences and supported by IMLS to bring together voices across and outside
the library and museum fields to debate, discuss, and question the future of museums and
libraries and gain insight into how the conversation could unfold in subsequent discussions
in the field at large. This meeting brought together leaders from across the disciplines in
the library, museum, research, scientific, technology, and education fields to help define the
central issues, challenges, and opportunities that libraries and museums are likely to face
in the coming decades.