For immediate release:
June 17, 2010

For more information, contact:
Mark A. Puente
Association of Research Libraries
202-296-2296
mpuente@arl.org

ARL Initiative to Recruit a Diverse Workforce Awarded IMLS Grant

Washington DC--The Association of Research Libraries (ARL) has been awarded a grant by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) Laura Bush 21st-Century Librarian Program in the amount of $543,014 to fund the next iteration of the Initiative to Recruit a Diverse Workforce (IRDW). The IRDW will provide support for graduate school in library and information science and other professional development opportunities to 30 students from traditionally underrepresented racial and ethnic minority groups over the next three years. Recruitment for the program will focus on students with academic training in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines. Participants in the IRDW, known as ARL Diversity Scholars, receive a generous compensation package over the course of two years and numerous other benefits:

• Mentoring relationship with a professional librarian. Where possible the Scholars will be paired with former participants of ARL’s Leadership and Career Development Program (LCDP) or senior alumni of the IRDW.
• Leadership and job-search skills development provided through ARL’s annual Leadership Symposium, held in January during the ALA Midwinter Meeting. At the Symposium, Diversity Scholars will have an opportunity to explore the major strategic areas of ARL as well as critical issues facing research libraries. They discuss effective steps for transitioning into a research library position upon graduation. Diversity Scholars also connect with other ARL Diversity Programs participants, library leaders, and other MLIS students who attend the event.
• Career placement. ARL staff will work with each Diversity Scholar throughout the job-search process to help them secure an appropriate and meaningful position in a research library upon completing their MLIS degree.
• Paid membership in the American Library Association (ALA) and one of ALA’s five ethnic caucuses for one year.
• Stipend of up to $10,000 over two years to help defray the cost of graduate school.
• Support of up to $2,500 per student for continuing professional skills development in an approved program such as the Modern Archives Institute, Rare Book School, or similar program.

To be eligible for the program, applicants must:

• be accepted into an ALA-accredited library and information science program;
• be a member of a racial/ethnic minority group as described by the US Executive order 11246; and
• have an academic background (at least an undergraduate degree) in applied or natural sciences; information technology or computer information systems; engineering; or mathematics.

Applications

Application forms will be available in late summer 2010.

More information

This is the third grant awarded to support ARL diversity recruitment efforts since 2003. To date, ARL’s Initiative to Recruit a Diverse Workforce has supported the MLIS education of over 125 students. For more information, visit http://www.arl.org/diversity/init/.

The Association of Research Libraries (ARL) is a nonprofit organization of 125 research libraries in North America. Its mission is to influence the changing environment of scholarly communication and the public policies that affect research libraries and the diverse communities they serve. ARL pursues this mission by advancing the goals of its member research libraries, providing leadership in public and information policy to the scholarly and higher education communities, fostering the exchange of ideas and expertise, facilitating the emergence of new roles for research libraries, and shaping a future environment that leverages its interests with those of allied organizations. ARL is on the Web at http://www.arl.org/.