Houston - Houston Public Library was recently awarded a $435,200 grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, as part of the Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program. The Library is one of 35 recipients nationwide who received this grant, of which only two are located in Texas. The Houston Public Library is the only public library to be awarded a grant through this program.
The Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program grants are designed to help offset a current shortage of school library media specialists, library school faculty, and librarians working in underserved communities, as well as looming shortage of library directors and other senior librarians, many of whom are expected to retire in the next 20 years. The Houston Public Library’s Fountain of Youth project will ensure that the Library addresses the challenge of offering outstanding youth services to Houston’s youngest readers by providing project participants with scholarships to enroll in the University of North Texas’ Master of Library Science (MLS) online degree program. In addition, participants will attend specialized trainings related to youth services and receive ongoing mentoring from designated Library staff.
Houston Public Library Director Dr. Rhea Brown Lawson said, "It is critical that we empower our children services librarians with the skills necessary to provide 21st century library services for youth. With this grant, we will ensure that our children's librarians will be equipped to better assist the diverse population of Houston and provide our young customers with the best services possible.”
“Libraries in all their forms, whether public, school, specialized, or academic, play a vital role in building a nation of learners. Without well-trained and educated librarians and preprofessionals, however, library service suffers. That is why we are so pleased to announce these recipients of the 2006 Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program,” said Dr. Anne-Imelda M. Radice, director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
Nationally, and locally, public libraries are experiencing a shortage of librarians specializing in children’s and youth services. The Fountain of Youth project will increase the number of children’s librarians delivering services to youth in Houston in a short period of time. The first class of this project is expected to be 15 librarians graduated by the year 2009. The Library will recruit 10 candidates internally, from Library Service Specialists currently working in youth services at the Houston Public Library. Five candidates will be recruited from local universities or community organizations. The Library’s scholarship applications can be found at www.houstonlibrary.org.
"Children are our future and those of us who serve them must be prepared to offer quality services that engage, educate, and encourage continued library use. By equipping youth services librarians with the tools to be successful, we are paving the road to excellence for them as they work with our young Texans," said Rose Trevino, youth services coordinator at the Houston Public Library.
The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation’s 122,000 libraries and 15,000 museums. Its mission is to grow and sustain a “Nation of Learners” because life-long learning is essential to a democratic society and individual success. Through its grant making, convenings, research and publications, the Institute empowers museums and libraries nationwide to provide leadership and services to enhance learning in families and communities, sustain cultural heritage, build twenty-first-century skills, and increase civic participation. To learn more about the Institute, please visit: http://www.imls.gov.
For more information, please call the Houston Public Library at 832.393.1313 or visit www.houstonlibrary.org.