This plan will serve individuals with limited English proficiency and recommit additional measures with the goal of further reducing or eliminating limited English proficiency as a barrier to accessing the IMLS’s programs and activities.

Washington, DC— The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) announces the release of its updated federal agency language access plan entitled, “Institute of Museum and Library Services’ Plan for Enduring Access for Persons with Limited English Proficiency.” The updated language access plan comes on the one-year anniversary of Attorney General Merrick B. Garland’s language access memorandum to federal agencies and features the establishment of an internal IMLS Language Access Working Group and a system for IMLS employees to record interactions and assistance offered to constituents with limited English proficiency.

IMLS aims to inclusively serve individuals with limited English proficiency and looks forward to recommitting to additional measures with the goal of further reducing or eliminating limited English proficiency as a barrier to accessing the IMLS’s programs and activities.

In November 2022, Attorney General Garland directed federal agencies to revise their language access plans, share best practices and exchange information about language access initiatives and efforts in compliance with Executive Order 13166, “Improving Access to Services for Persons with Limited English Proficiency.” He tasked the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, which is responsible for ensuring consistent and coordinated government-wide compliance with Executive Order 13166 and Title VI, with leading this effort.

“Providing meaningful language access to all communities is a fundamentally important responsibility of our federal government,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Today marks an important step towards including all people in federal conversations about health, work, justice, and the environment. We look forward to continuing to work with our partners across federal government and community stakeholders to implement these new language access plans and ensure that the door to the government’s services and programs is open to all, regardless of English proficiency.”

IMLS’s federal agency language access plan can now be found on www.LEP.gov, a website maintained by the Civil Rights Division.

The Justice Department also announced the launch of a new interagency federal working group, the Federal Language Access Working Group, that will allow federal agencies to exchange best practices and share language access resources for federal agencies and recipients of federal financial assistance. IMLS looks forward to joining this important effort in the future as we implement our new plan.

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 libraries and museums. We advance, support, and empower America's museums, libraries, and related organizations through grantmaking, research, and policy development. IMLS envisions a nation where individuals and communities have access to museums and libraries to learn from and be inspired by the trusted information, ideas, and stories they contain about our diverse natural and cultural heritage. To learn more, visit www.imls.gov and follow us on Facebook and LinkedIn.