LSTA Federal Goals

The federal LSTA program is authorized under the Museum and Library Services Act of 1996, enacted as part of P.L 104-208 (H.R.3610) September 30, 1996 , superceding the Library Services and Construction Act (LSCA), which had been in existence since 1956. Revisions to the statue were made by the Museum and Library Services Technical and Conforming Amendments of 1997, Public Law 105-128, enacted December 1, 1997 . The statute may be found in the U.S. Code at 20 USC 9101. Legislation recently (2003) reauthorized LSTA.

The Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) created the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). The State Library of Iowa reports to this federal agency.

The goals of LSTA are to:

• expand services for learning and access to information and educational resources in a variety of formats, in all types of libraries, for individuals of all ages;
• develop library services that provide all users access to information through local, state, regional, national, and international electronic networks;
• provide electronic and other linkages between and among all types of libraries;
• develop public and private partnerships with other agencies and community-based organizations;
• target library services to individuals of diverse geographic, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds, to individuals with disabilities, and to individuals with limited functional literacy or information skills; and
• target library and information services to persons having difficulty using a library and to underserved urban and rural communities, including children from families with incomes below the poverty line.