The University of Tennessee

Librarians, particularly those with strong proficiencies in technology, are urgently needed in Tennessee's rural Southern and Central Appalachian region. Because of persistent economic and environmental challenges, and low levels of literacy and educational achievement in the region, recruiting professional librarians with needed skills to these small rural communities is difficult. The University of Tennessee's School of Information Sciences (SIS) will team with the Clinch-Powell Regional Library, Sevier County Public Library System, and the Watauga Regional Library to recruit and provide 15 IMLS-funded scholarships, so that well-qualified technology support professionals already working in the region's libraries can earn a master's degree in librarianship. Students will be educated via the SIS distance education program, with coursework tailored for a specialization in Information Technology and Rural Librarianship. Upon graduation, students will be prepared to assume leadership roles in their libraries and the region.