July 19, 2004

Wayne State Library System receives third IMLS Leadership Grant in three years

For three years running, Wayne State University will be one of 26 institutions selected to receive a 2004 "Recruiting and Educating Librarians for the 21st Century" grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).

Wayne State will receive $743,286 over a three-year period to recruit and train librarians in the field of "digital librarianship." Candidates will be chosen from traditionally under represented groups (African-Americans, Asian-Americans, Hispanic-Americans, Arab-Americans, etc).

Wayne State will partner with Michigan State University libraries, Detroit Historical Museums, the Detroit Public Library and the Reuther Archives to recruit and educate new librarians to specialize in digital projects. The partners on the project will provide a match of $199,341 in staffing and tuition waivers. Twenty individuals from underrepresented groups will be given financial aid to attend the Wayne State University Library and Information Science (LIS) Program. Senior librarians will mentor the recruits in the fields of systems, digital project development, metadata, digital archives and museum management.

During the first year of the grant, the LIS program will recruit future librarians. During the second and third years, the students will attend classes and will work part-time at the Wayne State libraries, the Michigan State University libraries, the Detroit Historical Museum, the Detroit Public Library and the Reuther Archives. Upon completion of the program, the students will have experience working on digital projects at an academic institution, a public library, an archives and a museum.

Wayne State University is a premier institution offering more than 350 academic programs through 13 schools and colleges to more than 33,000 students in metropolitan Detroit.