---
kind: "section"
citation: "20 U.S.C. § 9162"
title: "20"
title_heading: "Education"
number: "9162"
heading: "National leadership grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/20/9162"
units:
  - "Chapter 72 — Museum and Library Services"
  - "Subchapter II — Library Services and Technology"
  - "Part 3"
  - "Subpart b — federal requirements"
---

# §9162. National leadership grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements

- (a) **In general—** From the amounts reserved under [section 9131(a)(1)(B) of this title](/usc/20/9131.md?p=a-1-B) for any fiscal year the [Director](/usc/20/9101.md?p=3) shall establish and carry out a program to enhance the quality of [library](/usc/20/9122.md?p=1) services nationwide and to provide coordination between [libraries](/usc/20/9122.md?p=1) and museums, including by carrying out activities such as—
  - (1) building workforce and institutional capacity for managing the national information infrastructure and serving the information and education needs of the public;
  - (2)
    - (A) research and demonstration projects related to the improvement of [libraries](/usc/20/9122.md?p=1) or the enhancement of [library](/usc/20/9122.md?p=1) and information services through effective and efficient use of new and emerging technologies, including projects that enable [library](/usc/20/9122.md?p=1) users to acquire [digital literacy skills](/usc/20/9101.md?p=2) and that make information resources more accessible and available; and
    - (B) dissemination of information derived from such projects;
  - (3) conserving, preserving, and digitizing [library](/usc/20/9122.md?p=1) materials and resources, giving priority to projects emphasizing coordination, optimizing conditions for storage and future use, offering staff training, avoiding duplication, and providing access by researchers beyond the institution or [library](/usc/20/9122.md?p=1) entity undertaking the project;
  - (4) enhancing the ability of [libraries](/usc/20/9122.md?p=1) to provide services to affected communities in the event of an emergency or disaster through—
    - (A) the development of national, regional, statewide, or local emergency and disaster management plans that—
      - (i) address communication and coordination of information and services for affected communities; and
      - (ii) ensure the preservation of knowledge and [library](/usc/20/9122.md?p=1) collections; and
    - (B) the implementation of the emergency and disaster management plans described in [subparagraph (A)](#a-4-A), or otherwise enabling [libraries](/usc/20/9122.md?p=1) to provide services consistent with this chapter to affected communities in the event of an emergency or disaster; and
  - (5) model programs demonstrating cooperative efforts between [libraries](/usc/20/9122.md?p=1) and museums.
- (b) **Grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements—**
  - (1) **In general—** The [Director](/usc/20/9101.md?p=3) may carry out the activities described in [subsection (a)](#a) by entering into arrangements, including grants, contracts, cooperative agreements, and other forms of assistance, with [libraries](/usc/20/9122.md?p=1), [library](/usc/20/9122.md?p=1) consortia and associations, institutions of higher education, museums, and other entities that the [Director](/usc/20/9101.md?p=3) determines appropriate.
  - (2) **Competitive basis—** Grants, contracts, cooperative agreements, and other arrangements or forms of assistance under this section shall be awarded on a competitive basis.
- (c) **Special rule—** The [Director](/usc/20/9101.md?p=3) shall make every effort to ensure that activities assisted under this section—
  - (1) are administered by appropriate [library](/usc/20/9122.md?p=1) and museum professionals or experts;
  - (2) reflect and serve a range of [library](/usc/20/9122.md?p=1) types and geographically diverse areas;
  - (3) include evaluation, analysis, and dissemination components; and
  - (4) to the extent practicable, actively involve, have direct impact on, or provide future application in, [libraries](/usc/20/9122.md?p=1).

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 94–462, title II, § 262, as added Pub. L. 104–208, div. A, title I, § 101(e) [title VII, § 702], Sept. 30, 1996, 110 Stat. 3009–233, 3009–302; amended Pub. L. 105–128, §§ 7, 8, Dec. 1, 1997, 111 Stat. 2549, 2550; Pub. L. 108–81, title II, § 207, title V, § 504(g), Sept. 25, 2003, 117 Stat. 1000, 1004; Pub. L. 111–340, title II, § 206, Dec. 22, 2010, 124 Stat. 3601; Pub. L. 115–410, § 14, Dec. 31, 2018, 132 Stat. 5418.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### References in Text

This chapter, referred to in subsec. (a)(4)(B), was in the original “this Act” and was translated as reading “this title”, meaning title II of Pub. L. 94–462, known as the Museum and Library Services Act, to reflect the probable intent of Congress.

### Amendments

2018—Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 115–410, § 14(1)(A), in introductory provisions, struck out “of awarding grants or entering into contracts or cooperative agreements” after “carry out a program” and substituted “museums, including by carrying out activities such as” for “museums. Such grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements shall be used for activities that may include”.

Subsec. (a)(2)(A). Pub. L. 115–410, § 14(1)(B), inserted “and emerging” after “new”.

Subsec. (a)(3) to (5). Pub. L. 115–410, § 14(1)(C), (D), added pars. (3) and (4) and redesignated former par. (4) as (5).

Subsec. (b)(1). Pub. L. 115–410, § 14(2)(A), added par. (1) and struck out former par. (1). Prior to amendment, text read as follows: “The Director may carry out the activities described in subsection (a) by awarding grants to, or entering into contracts or cooperative agreements with, libraries, agencies, institutions of higher education, or museums, where appropriate.”

Subsec. (b)(2). Pub. L. 115–410, § 14(2)(B), substituted “cooperative agreements, and other arrangements or forms of assistance” for “and cooperative agreements”.

Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 115–410, § 14(3), inserted dash after “under this section” and par. (1) designation before “are administered”, substituted “experts;” for “experts.”, and added pars. (2) to (4).

2010—Subsec. (a)(1), (2). Pub. L. 111–340, § 206(1), added pars. (1) and (2) and struck out former pars. (1) and (2) which read as follows:

“(1) education, recruitment, and training of persons in library and information science, particularly in areas of new technology and other critical needs, including graduate fellowships, traineeships, institutes, or other programs;

“(2) research and demonstration projects related to the improvement of libraries, education in library and information science, enhancement of library services through effective and efficient use of new technologies, and dissemination of information derived from such projects;”.

Subsec. (a)(3). Pub. L. 111–340, § 206(2), substituted “digitizing” for “digitization” and inserted “, including the development of national, regional, statewide, or local emergency plans that would ensure the preservation of knowledge and library collections in the event of a disaster” before “; and”.

2003—Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 108–81, § 207, substituted “education, recruitment, and training” for “education and training”.

Subsec. (b)(1). Pub. L. 108–81, § 504(g), substituted “cooperative agreements with,” for “cooperative agreements, with,”.

1997—Pub. L. 105–128, § 7(1), substituted section catchline for former catchline which read as follows: “National leadership grants or contracts”.

Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 105–128, § 7(2), in introductory provisions, substituted “program of awarding grants or entering into contracts or cooperative agreements” for “program awarding national leadership grants or contracts” and “Such grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements” for “Such grants or contracts”.

Subsec. (a)(3). Pub. L. 105–128, § 8, substituted “preserving or digitization” for “preservation of digitization”.

Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 105–128, § 7(3)(A), substituted heading for former heading which read as follows: “Grants or contracts”.

Subsec. (b)(1). Pub. L. 105–128, § 7(3)(B), inserted “or cooperative agreements,” after “contracts”.

Subsec. (b)(2). Pub. L. 105–128, § 7(3)(C), substituted “Grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements” for “Grants and contracts”.