---
kind: "section"
citation: "20 U.S.C. § 9121"
title: "20"
title_heading: "Education"
number: "9121"
heading: "Purpose"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/20/9121"
units:
  - "Chapter 72 — Museum and Library Services"
  - "Subchapter II — Library Services and Technology"
---

# §9121. Purpose


It is the purpose of this subchapter—

- (1) to enhance coordination among Federal programs that relate to [library](/usc/20/9122.md?p=1), education, and information services;
- (2) to promote continuous improvement in [library](/usc/20/9122.md?p=1) services in all types of [libraries](/usc/20/9122.md?p=1) in order to better serve the people of the United States;
- (3) to facilitate access to resources in all types of [libraries](/usc/20/9122.md?p=1) for the purpose of cultivating an educated and informed citizenry;
- (4) to encourage resource sharing among all types of [libraries](/usc/20/9122.md?p=1) for the purpose of achieving economical and efficient delivery of [library](/usc/20/9122.md?p=1) services to the public;
- (5) to promote literacy, education, and lifelong learning, including by building learning partnerships with school [libraries](/usc/20/9122.md?p=1) in our Nation’s schools, including tribal schools, and developing resources, capabilities, and programs in support of [State](/usc/20/9122.md?p=3), tribal, and local efforts to offer a well-rounded educational experience to all students;
- (6) to enable [libraries](/usc/20/9122.md?p=1) to develop services that meet the needs of communities throughout the Nation, including people of diverse geographic, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds, individuals with disabilities, residents of rural and urban areas, Native Americans, military families, veterans, and caregivers;
- (7) to enable [libraries](/usc/20/9122.md?p=1) to serve as anchor institutions to support community revitalization through enhancing and expanding the services and resources provided by [libraries](/usc/20/9122.md?p=1), including those services and resources relating to workforce development, economic and business development, critical thinking skills, health information, [digital literacy skills](/usc/20/9101.md?p=2), financial literacy and other types of literacy skills, and new and emerging technology;
- (8) to enhance the skills of the current [library](/usc/20/9122.md?p=1) workforce and to recruit future professionals, including those from diverse and underrepresented backgrounds, to the field of [library](/usc/20/9122.md?p=1) and information services;
- (9) to ensure the preservation of knowledge and [library](/usc/20/9122.md?p=1) collections in all formats and to enable [libraries](/usc/20/9122.md?p=1) to serve their communities during disasters;
- (10) to enhance the role of [libraries](/usc/20/9122.md?p=1) within the information infrastructure of the United States in order to support research, education, and innovation;
- (11) to promote [library](/usc/20/9122.md?p=1) services that provide users with access to information through national, [State](/usc/20/9122.md?p=3), local, regional, and international collaborations and networks; and
- (12) to encourage, support, and disseminate model programs of [library](/usc/20/9122.md?p=1) and museum collaboration.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 94–462, title II, § 212, as added Pub. L. 104–208, div. A, title I, § 101(e) [title VII, § 702], Sept. 30, 1996, 110 Stat. 3009–233, 3009–295; amended Pub. L. 108–81, title II, § 201, Sept. 25, 2003, 117 Stat. 997; Pub. L. 111–340, title II, § 201, Dec. 22, 2010, 124 Stat. 3599; Pub. L. 115–410, § 7, Dec. 31, 2018, 132 Stat. 5415.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Amendments

2018—Par. (1). Pub. L. 115–410, § 7(1), inserted “, education,” after “library”.

Par. (5). Pub. L. 115–410, § 7(2), added par. (5) and struck out former par. (5) which read as follows: “to promote literacy, education, and lifelong learning and to enhance and expand the services and resources provided by libraries, including those services and resources relating to workforce development, 21st century skills, and digital literacy skills;”.

Pars. (6), (7). Pub. L. 115–410, § 7(4), added pars. (6) and (7). Former pars. (6) and (7) redesignated (8) and (9), respectively.

Par. (8). Pub. L. 115–410, § 7(3), (5), redesignated par. (6) as (8) and inserted “, including those from diverse and underrepresented backgrounds,” after “professionals”.

Pars. (9) to (11). Pub. L. 115–410, § 7(3), redesignated pars. (7) to (9) as (9) to (11), respectively.

Par. (12). Pub. L. 115–410, § 7(6)–(8), added par. (12).

2010—Par. (1). Pub. L. 111–340, § 201(1), added par. (1) and struck out former par. (1) which read as follows: “to consolidate Federal library service programs;”.

Par. (2). Pub. L. 111–340, § 201(2), inserted “continuous” after “promote”.

Pars. (5) to (9). Pub. L. 111–340, § 201(3)–(5), added pars. (5) to (9).

2003—Pars. (2) to (5). Pub. L. 108–81 added pars. (2) to (4) and struck out former pars. (2) to (5) which read as follows:

“(2) to stimulate excellence and promote access to learning and information resources in all types of libraries for individuals of all ages;

“(3) to promote library services that provide all users access to information through State, regional, national and international electronic networks;

“(4) to provide linkages among and between libraries; and

“(5) to promote targeted library services to people of diverse geographic, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds, to individuals with disabilities, and to people with limited functional literacy or information skills.”