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Washington, D.C. – The ¾«¶«´«Ã½ (ALA) welcomed President Biden’s . The Order was announced on October 1, within a proclamation declaring October 2022 as National Arts and Humanities Month.

The Executive Order establishes the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities within the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) to “inform and support the national engagement with Americans necessary to advance the arts, the humanities and museum and library services.”

“¾«¶«´«Ã½thanks the Biden administration for bringing libraries’ voice back to the White House in the reinstated President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities,” said ¾«¶«´«Ã½President Lessa Kananiʻopua Pelayo-Lozada. “As a trusted vehicle for arts education, libraries make humanities accessible for all Americans and can transform art consumers into creators, especially for those often left out of the creative economy. We look forward to working with the Committee and IMLS to continue to strengthen libraries’ place in the cultural life of America.”

The Committee will work directly with the Biden Administration and three cultural agencies: IMLS, the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities as well as with many other federal entities.

In a , IMLS Director Crosby Kemper said, “This Executive Order is an opportunity to reflect on the impact library and museum programs have on our communities... As two of the most trusted institutions, libraries and museums provide access that allows us to engage with the arts, humanities, and diverse cultures to bring about a more informed and engaged society.”