03-26181. Proposed Collection, Comment Request, of IMLS Funded Digital Collections and Content-Focus Groups

AGENCY:

Institute of Museum and Library Services, NFAH.

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

The Institute of Museum and Library Services as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burdens, conducts a preclearance consultation program to provide the general public and federal agencies with an opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing collections of information in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA95) (44 U.S.C. 3508(2)(A)). This program helps to ensure that requested data can be provided in the desired format, reporting burden (time and financial resources) is minimized, collection instruments are clearly understood, and the impact of collection requirements on respondents can be properly assessed. Currently the Institute of Museum and Library Services is soliciting comments concerning the proposed study of IMLS Funded Digital Collections and Content.

A copy of the proposed information collection request can be obtained by contacting the individual listed below in the ADDRESSES section of this notice.

DATES:

Written comments must be submitted to the office listed in the ADDRESSES section below on or before December 15, 2003.

IMLS is particularly interested in comments that help the agency to:

• Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information will have practical utility;
• Evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of information including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used;
• Enhance the quality, utility and clarity of the information to be collected; and
• Minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g. permitting electronic submissions of responses.

ADDRESSES:

Send comments to: Martha Crawley, Senior Program Officer, Institute of Museum and Library Services, 1100 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Room 802, Washington, DC 20506. Ms. Crawley can be reached on telephone: [phone], Fax: [phone] or by e-mail at [e-mail].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

The Institute of Museum and Library Services is an independent Federal grant-making agency authorized by the Museum and Library Services Act, Public Law 104-208. The IMLS provides a variety of grant programs to assist the nation's museums and libraries in improving their operations and enhancing their services to the public. Museums and libraries of all sizes and types may receive support from IMLS programs. In the National Leadership Grant program, IMLS funds the digitization of library and museum collections. This study is to determine the feasibility of using the Open Archives Initiative (OAI) metadata harvesting protocol to aggregate and provide integrated item-level search access to the collections that Institute of Museum and Library Services funding has helped to digitize through the National Leadership Grant program and to create a collection level registry of those collections.

Agency: Institute of Museum and Library Services.

Title: Study of IMLS Funded Digital Collections and Content—Focus Groups.

OMB Number: n/a.

Agency Number: 3137.

Affected Public: Museums and Libraries that created digital collections with IMLS funding.

Number of Respondents: 24 (maximum two focus groups with 12 participants each).

Frequency: Once.

Estimated time per respondent: 2 hours.

Estimated cost per respondent: $50 (2 × $25 per hour).

Total Burden Hours: 48 hours.

Total Annualized capital/startup costs: Zero.

Total Annual costs: $1200 (48 × $25 per hour = $1200).

Contact: Rebecca Danvers, Director of Research and Technology, Institute of Museum and Library Services, 1100 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20506, telephone [phone].

Mamie Bittner,

Director of Public and Legislative Affairs.