Posted July 1, 2005.
IMLS Funds $21 Million in Library Recruitment Programs
The Institute of Museum and Library Services announced the awarding of 38 grants totaling nearly $21.1 million June 28 as part of its Librarians for the 21st Century program. The grants will fund recruitment programs by libraries, universities, and library organizations around the country. More than 1,400 preprofessional, master’s, doctoral, and continuing-education students will benefit from the grants.
Among the programs the grants will support are:
- The University of Tennessee School of Information Sciences’ Science Links program, which received $632,249 to collaborate with the U.S. Department of Energy in educating 10 science librarians from underrepresented groups and create a model for training subject specialists;
- The Free Library of Philadelphia’s Growing Our Own program, which was awarded $997,099 to provide tuition assistance, educational leave time, internships, mentoring, and training to 300 high school students, 45 interns, and 25 paraprofessionals who work or volunteer at the Free Library and are likely candidates for librarianship careers; and
- Syracuse University’s A-PLUS program, which was given $999,033 to create a focused, master’s-level school media program in New York City that will recruit and partially or fully fund 40 students.
Librarians for the 21st Century offers grants ranging from $50,000 to $1 million. Recipients must share at least half the cost of the funded projects, excluding student support costs. The program has funded almost 2,700 students since its beginning in 2002.
IMLS also announced more than $1.3 million in Native American Library Services grants to 237 Indian and Alaska Native communities on June 28. Each grant provides $5,000 for general operations and core services; recipients can also apply for a $1,000 supplement for staff development or professional assessments of library services.
Posted July 1, 2005.