The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is pleased to announce the appointment of Deputy Director for Library Services Cyndee Landrum as Acting Director, effective March 21, 2024. Ms. Landrum will assume the Acting Director role following the end of current Director Crosby Kemper’s four-year term. Ms. Landrum will lead the agency until a new director is nominated by the President and confirmed by the U.S. Senate. The IMLS directorship alternates between individuals selected from the museum and library fields.
Mr. Kemper expertly led IMLS during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond, when many communities turned to local libraries and museums to access critical resources. During his tenure, Mr. Kemper:
Initiated a government-wide Information Literacy Taskforce that will provide museum and library professionals with online training resources related to financial, digital, and health literacy to increase community engagement.
Launched the American Latino Museum Internship and Fellowship Initiative (ALMIFI) to strengthen the institutional capacity of American Latino museums, build connections with cultural organizations, and develop a new generation of diverse museum talent.
Completed the pilot phase of the National Museum Survey (NMS), the first-ever annual federal survey to gather and share data about the essential work happening across the country in museums and cultural institutions.
IMLS is thankful for Mr. Kemper’s leadership, service, and dedication to the museum and library fields.
During her tenure as Acting Director, Ms. Landrum will focus on collaborating with IMLS senior leadership and key stakeholders to ensure continuity in the organization’s commitment to providing federal support and empowering museums and libraries across the nation.
Ms. Landrum brings a wealth of experience and expertise to the new role. As Deputy Director for Library Services, a position she has held since June 2019, she oversees the agency’s largest program—Grants to States—which is the primary source of Federal funding for libraries. She also manages grant programs that fund library leadership, workforce development, small libraries, and Tribal and Native Hawaiian libraries.
Over a professional career of more than 20 years, Ms. Landrum has served in public libraries across the country. She was CEO of the Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library (IN) and assistant director for Oak Park Library (IL) and Mt. Lebanon Public Library (PA). She has taken on leadership roles at all levels of the profession, including serving as president of the Arizona Library Association.
Gary Price (gprice@gmail.com) is a librarian, writer, consultant, and frequent conference speaker based in the Washington D.C. metro area.
He earned his MLIS degree from Wayne State University in Detroit.
Price has won several awards including the SLA Innovations in Technology Award and Alumnus of the Year from the Wayne St. University Library and Information Science Program. From 2006-2009 he was Director of Online Information Services at Ask.com.
