[Asis-l] Maryland's iSchool Wins IMLS Grant for Lilead Fellows Project

[Mary E. Carroll-Mason]

Maryland's iSchool Wins IMLS Grant for Lilead Fellows Project

The University of Maryland's College of Information Studies, Maryland's iSchool received a grant in the amount of $284, 176 from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). The grant, awarded as part of the 2014 Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian grant program, will support the Lilead Fellows Project.

The Lilead Fellows Project will provide intensive professional development to school district library supervisors. This professional development will allow participants to develop leadership skills in integrating information literacy instruction with content area standards, technology use and integration and advocacy for library programs and services.  An initial group of 25 Lilead Fellows from school districts across the country will engage in an 18-month program of learning and sharing through the Lilead Network, an online community for library supervisors. In addition, fellows will take part in a summer institute to be held on the College Park campus in July 2015, and in meetings at American Library Association (ALA) and American Association of School Librarians (AASL) national conferences. 

The need for professional development provided by the Lilead Fellows Project was identified through the IMLS-funded 2012 Lilead Survey, which was the first national survey of school district library supervisors conducted in more than 40 years.  Ann Carlson Weeks, associate dean for academic programs at the University of Maryland and director of the Lilead Project commented, "One of the most striking findings from the survey was that supervisors had little preparation for their leadership roles at the district level and few opportunities for professional development. While many of the supervisors surveyed had previous experience as school librarians or classroom teachers, very few had any previous administrative experience or training for the supervisory position. Supervisors indicated that professional development for effective leadership was their most essential need. The Lilead Fellows Program is designed to address this need."

The application process for the Lilead Fellows program will be announced at the 2014 American Library Association (ALA) Conference in June and the initial class of fellows will be announced at the 2015 ALA Midwinter Meeting in Chicago. For more information about the Lilead Project, visit http://lileadproject.org


About Maryland's iSchool

The College of Information Studies, Maryland's iSchool, empowers people, organizations and society to use information effectively through its research and undergraduate, graduate and professional programs. Maryland's iSchool enables students and faculty to create new ways for people to connect with information that will transform society and is ideally located in the information capital of the world- the Washington DC metro region. The iSchool is transforming itself as well, from a small college with a strong foundation in library and information studies programs to a fast-growing and groundbreaking center of expertise that will help people manage the information explosion from childhood to adulthood.
For more information, visit www.ischool.umd.edu.

About the Institute for Museum and Library Services

The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation's 123,000 libraries and 17,500 museums. Our mission is to inspire libraries and museums to advance innovation, lifelong learning, and cultural and civic engagement. Our grant making, policy development, and research help libraries and museums deliver valuable services that make it possible for communities and individuals to thrive. To learn more, visit www.imls.gov and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.


Mary Carroll-Mason
Communications Coordinator
College of Information Studies, Maryland's iSchool
University of Maryland
4105J Hornbake Building
College Park, MD 20742
mcmason at umd.edu
(301) 405-1260
ischool.umd.edu
Twitter: @I_UMD