Submission for OMB Review, Comment Request, Proposed Collection; Guidelines for Grants to States Program Five-Year Evaluations

AGENCY:

Institute of Museum and Library Services, National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities.

ACTION:

Submission for OMB Review, Comment Request.

SUMMARY:

The Institute of Museum and Library Service (“IMLS”) as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, conducts a pre-clearance 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 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.). This pre-clearance consultation 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. The purpose of this Notice is to solicit comments concerning the guidelines for the agency's Grants to States program's five-year evaluations.

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 CONTACT section below on or before May 10, 2016.

OMB 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:

For a copy of the documents contact: Kim A. Miller, Management Analyst, Office of Impact Assessment and Learning, Institute of Museum and Library Services, 955 L'Enfant Plaza North SW., Suite 4000, Washington, DC 20024-2135. Ms. Miller can be reached by Telephone: 202-653-4762, Fax: 202-653-4601, or by email at kmiller@imls.gov or by teletype (TTY/TDD) at 202-653-4614.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is an independent Federal grant-making agency and is the primary source of federal support for the Nation's 123,000 libraries and 35,000 museums. 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. The IMLS Grants to States program is the largest source of federal funding support for library services in the United States. Using a population-based formula, more than $150 million is distributed among the State Library Administrative Agencies.

Current actions: This notice proposes clearance of the Guidelines for Grants to States Program Five-Year Evaluations. The 60-day notice for the Guidelines for Grants to States Program Five-Year Evaluations, was published in the Federal Register on January 20, 2016 (FR vol. 81, No. 12, pgs. 3165). The agency has taken into consideration the one comment that was received under this notice.

Agency: Institute of Museum and Library Services.

Title: Guidelines for Grants to States Program Five-Year Evaluations.

OMB Number: To be determined.

Agency Number: 3137.

Affected Public: State Library Administrative Agencies.

Number of Respondents: 55.

Note: 55 is the number of State Library Administrative Agencies that are responsible for the collection of this information and for reporting it to IMLS.

Frequency: Once every five years.

Burden hours per respondent: 90.

Total burden hours: 4,950.

Total Annualized capital/startup costs: $138,303.

Total Annual Costs: N/A. Data collected every five years only.

Contact: Comments should be sent to Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Attn.: OMB Desk Officer for Education, Office of Management and Budget, Room 10235, Washington, DC 20503, (202) 395-7316.