• To appraise library and information services
• To strengthen the relevance of libraries and information science
• To promote research and development for extending and improving library and information services.

To achieve these goals, the Commission has undertaken the following initiatives to provide background information for the President, Congress, and others as they formulate national information policy:

• Libraries as community distribution centers for emergency preparedness and disaster response information
• Health communication and the role of libraries in the distribution of consumer health information and the promotion of healthy lifestyles
• Researching the adequacies and deficiencies of current library and information resources and services and the effectiveness of current library and information science programs
• Disseminating information about the relationship between school libraries and educational achievement
• Improving library services for the aging
• Addressing international library and information science issues.

More: Special Report: The New NCLIS - January 2005 (PDF format)