Title 20 — EducationRelease 119-73not60
§9105a National Museum and Library Services Board
Title 20 › Chapter 72— MUSEUM AND LIBRARY SERVICES › Subchapter I— GENERAL PROVISIONS › § 9105a
Summary
Creates a National Museum and Library Services Board inside the Institute to advise the Director on museum and library policies and on national awards and medals under section 9107. The Director is the Chair. The General Counsel is the Secretary. The Director, the Deputy Director for Library Services, the Deputy Director for Museum Services, and the General Counsel sit on the board but do not vote. The board has 20 appointed members and the three deputy/director officers. The President appoints ten people for library issues and ten for museum issues. Library appointees must include five professional librarians or information specialists (at least one with electronic/technical expertise and at least one who knows the needs of underserved, including rural, communities). Museum appointees must include five museum professionals representing a broad mix of museum types (including science, history, technology, art, zoos, botanical gardens, and children’s museums); the rest must have wide museum knowledge or commitment. Members must reflect U.S. geographic regions, including rural areas, and no more than three appointed members can be from the same State. The President should consider fair representation of women, minorities, and people with disabilities. Appointed members serve 5-year terms; the President will stagger terms so no more than four end in the same year. Vacancies are filled for the rest of the term. Members who have served more than 7 consecutive years cannot be reappointed, and members stay on until their successor takes office. The board must meet at least twice a year and when the Director calls. Actions require a majority vote of voting members present. A quorum is a majority of voting members. Non-federal members may be paid up to the daily equivalent of the maximum annual rate for a position above GS–15 under section 5108 of title 5; full-time federal employees get no extra pay. Travel pay follows subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 5. The Director, with board advice, will coordinate policies and activities under subsections (f) and (g) of section 9103.
Full Legal Text
Title 20, §9105a
Education — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)There is established within the Institute a board to be known as the “National Museum and Library Services Board”.
(b)(1)The Museum and Library Services Board shall be composed of the following:
(A)The Director.
(B)The Deputy Director for the Office of Library Services.
(C)The Deputy Director for the Office of Museum Services.
(D)Ten members appointed by the President, from among individuals who are citizens of the United States and who are specially qualified by virtue of their education, training, or experience in the area of library services, or their commitment to libraries.
(E)Ten members appointed by the President, from among individuals who are citizens of the United States and who are specially qualified by virtue of their education, training, or experience in the area of museum services, or their commitment to museums.
(2)(A)Of the members of the Museum and Library Services Board appointed under paragraph (1)(D)—
(i)five shall be professional librarians or information specialists, of whom—
(I)not less than one shall be knowledgeable about electronic information and technical aspects of library and information services and sciences; and
(II)not less than one other shall be knowledgeable about the library and information service needs of underserved communities, including rural communities; and
(ii)the remainder shall have special competence in, or knowledge of, the needs for library and information services in the United States.
(B)Of the members of the Museum and Library Services Board appointed under paragraph (1)(E)—
(i)five shall be museum professionals who are or have been affiliated with—
(I)resources that, collectively, are broadly representative of the curatorial, conservation, educational, and cultural resources of the United States; or
(II)museums that, collectively, are broadly representative of various types of museums, including museums relating to science, history, technology, art, zoos, botanical gardens, and museums designed for children; and
(ii)the remainder shall be individuals recognized for their broad knowledge, expertise, or experience in museums or commitment to museums.
(3)Members of the Museum and Library Services Board shall be appointed to reflect persons from, and the needs of, various geographic regions of the United States, including rural areas. The Museum and Library Services Board may not include, at any time, more than three appointive members from a single State. In making such appointments, the President shall give due regard to equitable representation of women, minorities, and persons with disabilities who are involved with museums and libraries.
(4)The Director, the Deputy Director of the Office of Library Services, the Deputy Director of the Office of Museum Services, and the General Counsel of the Institute shall be nonvoting members of the Museum and Library Services Board.
(c)(1)Each member of the Museum and Library Services Board appointed under subparagraph (D) or (E) of subsection (b)(1) shall serve for a term of 5 years.
(2)The terms of the members appointed to the Museum and Library Service Board shall be adjusted by the President as necessary to ensure that the terms of not more than four members expire in the same year. Such adjustments shall be carried out through designation of the adjusted term at the time of appointment.
(3)Any member appointed to fill a vacancy shall serve for the remainder of the term for which the predecessor of the member was appointed.
(4)No appointive member of the Museum and Library Services Board who has been a member for more than 7 consecutive years shall be eligible for reappointment.
(5)Notwithstanding any other provision of this subsection, an appointive member of the Museum and Library Services Board shall serve after the expiration of the term of the member until the successor to the member takes office.
(d)(1)The Museum and Library Services Board shall advise the Director on general policies with respect to the duties, powers, and authority of the Institute relating to museum, library, and information services.
(2)The Museum and Library Services Board shall advise the Director in awarding national awards and medals under section 9107 of this title.
(e)The Director shall serve as Chairperson of the Museum and Library Services Board.
(f)The General Counsel of the Institute shall serve as Secretary of the Museum and Library Services Board.
(g)(1)The Museum and Library Services Board shall meet not less than 2 times each year and at the call of the Director.
(2)All decisions by the Museum and Library Services Board with respect to the exercise of its duties and powers shall be made by a majority vote of the members of the Board who are present and authorized to vote.
(h)A majority of the voting members of the Museum and Library Services Board shall constitute a quorum for the conduct of business at official meetings, but a lesser number of members may hold hearings.
(i)(1)Each member of the Museum and Library Services Board who is not an officer or employee of the Federal Government may be compensated at a rate to be fixed by the President, but not to exceed the daily equivalent of the maximum annual rate of pay authorized for a position above grade GS–15 of the General Schedule under section 5108 of title 5, for each day (including travel time) during which such member is engaged in the performance of the duties of the Museum and Library Services Board. Members of the Museum and Libraries Services Board who are full-time officers or employees of the Federal Government may not receive additional pay, allowances, or benefits by reason of their service on the Museum and Library Services Board.
(2)Each member of the Museum and Library Services Board shall receive travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, in accordance with applicable provisions under subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 5.
(j)The Director, with the advice of the Museum and Library Services Board, shall coordinate the development and implementation of policies and activities as described in subsections (f) and (g) of section 9103 of this title.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Editorial Notes
Prior Provisions
A prior section 207 of Pub. L. 94–462 was renumbered section 208 and is classified to section 9106 of this title. Another prior section 207 of Pub. L. 94–462 was classified to section 966 of this title prior to the general amendment of title II of Pub. L. 94–462 by Pub. L. 104–208.
Amendments
2018—Subsec. (b)(2)(A)(i)(II). Pub. L. 115–410, § 4(1), inserted “, including rural communities” after “underserved communities”. Subsec. (b)(3). Pub. L. 115–410, § 4(2), in first sentence, inserted “, and the needs of,” after “persons from” and “, including rural areas” after “United States”. Subsec. (b)(4). Pub. L. 115–410, § 4(3), substituted “the Deputy Director of the Office of Museum Services, and the General Counsel of the Institute” for “and the Deputy Director of the Office of Museum Services”. Subsecs. (f) to (j). Pub. L. 115–410, § 4(4), (5), added subsec. (f) and redesignated former subsecs. (f) to (i) as (g) to (j), respectively. 2012—Subsec. (b)(1)(D), (E). Pub. L. 112–166 struck out “, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate” after “President”. 2010—Subsec. (b)(1)(D) to (F). Pub. L. 111–340, § 104(1)(A), redesignated subpars. (E) and (F) as (D) and (E), respectively, and struck out former subpar. (D) which read as follows: “The Chairman of the National Commission on Libraries and Information Science.” Subsec. (b)(2)(A). Pub. L. 111–340, § 104(1)(B)(i), substituted “(1)(D)” for “(1)(E)” in introductory provisions. Subsec. (b)(2)(B). Pub. L. 111–340, § 104(1)(B)(ii), substituted “(1)(E)” for “(1)(F)” in introductory provisions. Subsec. (b)(4). Pub. L. 111–340, § 104(1)(C), inserted “and” after “Library Services,” and struck out “, and the Chairman of the National Commission on Library and Information Science” before “shall”. Subsec. (c)(1). Pub. L. 111–340, § 104(2)(A), substituted “Each” for “Except as otherwise provided in this subsection, each” and “(D) or (E)” for “(E) or (F)”. Subsec. (c)(2). Pub. L. 111–340, § 104(2)(B), substituted “Authority to adjust terms” for “Initial Board appointments” in heading, struck out subpars. (A) and (B) related to treatment of members serving on
Effective Date
and first appointments and subpar. (C) designation and heading, and substituted “The terms of the members” for “The terms of the first members”. Subsec. (d)(1). Pub. L. 111–340, § 104(3)(A), substituted “relating to museum, library, and information services” for “relating to museum and library services, including financial assistance awarded under this chapter”. Subsec. (d)(2). Pub. L. 111–340, § 104(3)(B), added par. (2) and struck out former par. (2). Prior to amendment, text read as follows: “The Museum and Library Services Board shall advise the Director in making awards under section 9107 of this title.” Subsec. (i). Pub. L. 111–340, § 104(4), substituted “coordinate the development and implementation of policies and activities as described in subsections (f) and (g) of section 9103 of this title” for “take steps to ensure that the policies and activities of the Institute are coordinated with other activities of the Federal Government”.
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date
of 2012 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 112–166 effective 60 days after Aug. 10, 2012, and applicable to appointments made on and after that
Effective Date
, including any nomination pending in the Senate on that date, see section 6(a) of Pub. L. 112–166, set out as a note under section 113 of Title 6, Domestic Security.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
20 U.S.C. § 9105a
Title 20 — Education
Last Updated
Apr 5, 2026
Release point: 119-73not60