MEDIA CONTACTS:
Erica Jaros, ejaros@imls.gov, 202-653-4701
Lelani Clark, lclark@vancomm.com, 202-248-5456

Staff, local leaders, and community members can nominate their local libraries and museums for the 2025 National Medal

Washington, DC—Nominations are now open for the highest honor awarded to museums and libraries—the Institute of Museum and Library Service’s (IMLS) National Medal for Museum and Library Service. Since 1994, the award has been given to 222 institutions that exemplified extraordinary and innovative approaches to public service.

“The IMLS National Medal is our nation’s highest honor for libraries and museums. The medal recognizes institutions that are cultivating meaningful relationships with their communities that help meet critical needs, achieve shared aspirations, and amplifying local history and community memory” said IMLS Acting Director Cyndee Landrum. “We urge the public to nominate the libraries and museums that have made a difference in their family or community for the 2025 National Medal and help us shine a light on these incredible institutions.”

The National Medal recognizes outstanding libraries and museums of any type and size. To be honored, the institution must deeply impact its community by:

• fostering a lifelong passion for learning for all people, nourishing curiosity and imagination from early childhood through adulthood, for people of all abilities and needs;

• providing access to information through advancing digital capacity, focusing on digital inclusion and access to digital and informational resources, including e-books and materials to help address workforce development and public health;

• enriching the lives of community members by being trusted community spaces for convening, connection, and conversation; enlightenment and shared thoughts and opinions; and preserving natural and cultural heritage and community memory; and

• catalyzing community connections, collaborations and/or coalitions to advance community goals.

Nominations are open from June 26 to September 6. Anyone, including the organization’s employees, board members, community members, and elected officials, may nominate a museum or library for this honor. An organization that is nominated either by an outside nominator or by self-nomination must complete the Nomination Form to be considered. Components of the nomination form include organizational information, an overview and narrative, and letters of support.

For more information and a list of frequently asked questions, visit the National Medal nomination page. To learn more about the museums and libraries who have previously received a National Medal, visit www.imls.gov/medals. The ten 2024 National Medal winners are being recognized at a ceremony in Washington, DC next month.

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.