The Association of Research Libraries (ARL) sent a letter on December 11, 2019, to Senators Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Patty Murray (D-WA), chairman and ranking member, respectively, of the US Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, in support of the nomination of Crosby Kemper III to be the director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).
Kemper has served as the executive director of the Kansas City Public Library since 2005. He has a long record of service at other civic and cultural organizations, such as the School, Health & Libraries Broadband Coalition.
“IMLS is indispensable for libraries across the United States, sustaining and advancing our nation’s core infrastructure for scholarship, learning, and cultural heritage,” said Mary Lee Kennedy, ARL executive director, in the Association’s letter. “ARL is confident that Mr. Kemper will provide vigorous and forward-thinking leadership at IMLS.”
The letter urges the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions to approve Kemper’s nomination, which would then need to be confirmed by the full Senate.
Read the full letter.
About the Association of Research Libraries
The Association of Research Libraries (ARL) is a nonprofit organization of 124 research libraries in Canada and the US whose mission is to advance research, learning, and scholarly communication. The Association fosters the open exchange of ideas and expertise, promotes equity and diversity, and pursues advocacy and public policy efforts that reflect the values of the library, scholarly, and higher education communities. ARL forges partnerships and catalyzes the collective efforts of research libraries to enable knowledge creation and to achieve enduring and barrier-free access to information. ARL is on the web at ARL.org.
