2010-06-14
Museums, Libraries, and 21st Century Skills
This project underscores the critical role of our nations museums and libraries in helping citizens build such 21st century skills as information, communications and technology literacy, critical thinking, problem solving, creativity, civic literacy, and global awareness.
At a time when increasingly advanced skills are required for success in life and work, people of all ages are seeking a diverse range of learning experiences to inspire, guide, and enhance their personal and professional lives.
Libraries and museums can embrace this opportunity to build on past achievements and chart promising new directions. One of these critical new directions involves developing a comprehensive, purposeful approach around 21st century skills. With 17,500 museums and 123,000 libraries across our nation, every community in the United States stands to benefit from the leadership of these institutions.
Over the past seven years, the national dialogue around 21st century skills has reached critical mass in national competitiveness, workforce development, and K-12 education circles. This discussion has developed as the needs and nature of the workforce have undergone dramatic shifts, as shown in the next table.
The initiative began with the assembly of a Task Force of leading thinkers in the field, who helped identify and define the many new contexts facing libraries and museums, such as the evolution of the global economy and the need for 21st century skills. The Task Force met with the IMLS Project Team throughout the course of a year, from June 2008 to June 2009, to refine the central concepts and review key drafts.
In addition to the Task Force meetings, IMLS conducted a series of vetting sessions with leading museum and library individuals to review and enhance the work.
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