(a) Contracts; national archive and center for American folklife; loan of items in archive; procurement, display, etc., of items in archive; miscellaneous programs

The Librarian is authorized to—

(1) enter into, in conformity with Federal procurement statutes and regulations, contracts with individuals and groups for programs for the—

(A) initiation, encouragement, support, organization, and promotion of research, scholarship, and training in American folklife;

(B) initiation, promotion, support, organization, and production of live performances, festivals, exhibits, and workshops related to American folklife;

(C) purchase, receipt, production, arrangement for, and support of the production of exhibitions, displays, publications, and presentations (including presentations by still and motion picture films, and audio and visual magnetic tape recordings) which represent or illustrate some aspect of American folklife; and

(D) purchase, production, arrangement for, and support of the production of exhibitions, projects, presentations, and materials specially designed for classroom use representing or illustrating some aspect of American folklife;


(2) establish and maintain in conjunction with any Federal department, agency, or institution a national archive and center for American folklife;

(3) procure, receive, purchase, and collect for preservation or retention in an appropriate archive creative works, exhibitions, presentations, objects, materials, artifacts, manuscripts, publications, and audio and visual records (including still and motion picture film records, audio and visual magnetic tape recordings, written records, and manuscripts) which represent or illustrate some aspect of American folklife;

(4) loan, or otherwise make available, through Library of Congress procedures, any item in the archive established under this subchapter to any individual or group;

(5) present, display, exhibit, disseminate, communicate, and broadcast to local, regional, State, or National audiences any exhibition, display, or presentation referred to in clause (3) of this section or any item in the archive established pursuant to clause (2) of this section, by making appropriate arrangements, including contracts with public, nonprofit, and private radio and television broadcasters, museums, educational institutions, and such other individuals and organizations, including corporations, as the Board deems appropriate;

(6) loan, lease, or otherwise make available to public, private, and nonprofit educational institutions, and State arts councils established pursuant to the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act of 1965 [20 U.S.C. 951 et seq.], such exhibitions, programs, presentations, and material developed pursuant to clause (1)(D) of this subsection as the Board deems appropriate; and

(7) develop and implement other appropriate programs to preserve, support, revitalize, and disseminate American folklife.

(b) Functions carried out through Center

Terms Used In 20 USC 2104

  • American folklife: means the traditional expressive culture shared within the various groups in the United States: familial, ethnic, occupational, religious, regional. See 20 USC 2102
  • Board: means the Board of Trustees of the Center. See 20 USC 2102
  • Center: means the American Folklife Center established under this subchapter. See 20 USC 2102
  • group: includes any State or public agency or institution and any nonprofit society, institution, organization, association, or establishment in the United States. See 20 USC 2102
  • individual: shall include every infant member of the species homo sapiens who is born alive at any stage of development. See 1 USC 8
  • Lease: A contract transferring the use of property or occupancy of land, space, structures, or equipment in consideration of a payment (e.g., rent). Source: OCC
  • Librarian: means the Librarian of Congress. See 20 USC 2102
  • State: includes , in addition to the several States of the Union, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the District of Columbia, Guam, American Samoa, and the Virgin Islands. See 20 USC 2102

The Librarian shall carry out his functions under this subchapter through the Center.

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