Among the recipients are the Urban Libraries Council in Evanston, Illinois, which received $498,190 with which to collaborate with 12 public library systems toward the recruitment of 80 people into MLS programs at 30 different graduate schools; the Free Library of Philadelphia, which was awarded $500,000 to attract at least 30 people to the profession, with the focus on candidates from underrepresented groups, bilingual speakers, or those interested in children’s librarianship; and the Nevada State Library and Archives, which accepted $361,000 to recruit into library school some 50 people from diverse backgrounds who are interested in either urban or rural service in the western United States. All recipient institutions must raise a 50% match for their federal grants.
IMLS Director Robert S. Martin characterized the awards as “strategic and multifaceted,” explaining that their scope includes “tuition assistance, service expectations, job placement, recruitment of non-traditional library students, and research.”
Posted November 3, 2003.