Louisiana State University, A&M (School of Library and Information Sciences, Louisiana State University)

Libraries in southern Louisiana continue to experience staffing shortages as a result of the damage caused to local communities by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Louisiana State University's School of Library and Information Science, in collaboration with the State Library of Louisiana, the State Department of Education, the New Orleans Public Library, Terrebonne Parish Public Library, Calcasieu Parish Public Library, the New Orleans Recovery School District, the Algiers Charter School Association, Jefferson Parish School System, and Southern University at New Orleans will partner to help alleviate the shortage of librarians by recruiting, educating, and placing 30 new librarians in various libraries. Students recruited under this initiative will receive IMLS-funded scholarships to earn master's degrees in librarianship. As part of their education and early-career development, the students will work in libraries affected by the storm, and will benefit from mentoring and subsidized memberships in state and national professional associations.