Information Technology Rural Librarian Master’s
Scholarship Program
Johnson City
Public Library, TN
Hancock County Public
Library, Sneedville, TN
Sevier County Public Library,
Sevierville, TN
Lake City Public Library, TN
Dr. Bharat Mehra, Dr. Kimberly Black, Dr. Vandana Singh
School of Information Sciences, University of Tennessee
About the ITRL Program

“Information Technology Rural Librarian Master’s
Scholarship Program” (ITRL) in the School of Information
Sciences at the University of Tennessee meets an urgent
need for rural librarians in the Southern and Central
Appalachian region to develop information technology
competencies and training in a master’s program
(accredited by the American Library Association) that
combines work experience and practice with graduate
instruction and curriculum support.
ITRL, ETLA Presentation
November 12, 2009
Hamlin-Lincoln County
Public Library, Hamlin, WV
Why the ITRL Program is Important
The Southern and Central Appalachian Region is experiencing:
 Information poverty and unemployment
 Economic challenges
 Low levels of information literacy and educational attainment
 A lack of access and use of IT
 Other unique environmental challenges
Library professionals who are embedded in their communities are in a
strong position to help address and develop solutions to these needs.
Laurel Jones Public Library,
Laurel, MS
ITRL, ETLA Presentation
November 12, 2009
Pilot Study Report
Location of Respondents
ITRL, ETLA Presentation
November 12, 2009
Pilot Study Report
Most Important Library Services Provided to Rural Clients
ITRL, ETLA Presentation
November 12, 2009
Pilot Study Report
Most Important Library Training and Educational Programs
Needed by Information Professionals in East Tennessee
services for the underserved
3
services to general adult populations
8
services to children and young adults
9
Partnerships and collaboration with other local, government
agencies (police, schools, etc.)
13
technology – Web 2.0 and social networking
9
technology – providing instruction
9
technology – searching and web-based information services
Series1
10
technology – maintaining hardware, software and networks
13
Administration: planning, goal setting, strategic planning
10
collection management
12
library management
8
cataloging/metadata
ITRL, ETLA Presentation
November 12, 2009
5
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
The ITRL Goal
The goal of ITRL is to recruit sixteen paraprofessionals working in
rural libraries in the Southern and Central Appalachian region to
complete their master’s degree with a focus on IT and rural
librarianship in the UT’s SIS program via distance.
ITRL students will receive:

Part-time degree in a program accredited by the ALA

A structured, individually-tailored IT and rural management curriculum

Rural library practices and needs incorporated into the curriculum

IT competencies in developing rural library work applications

Formal/informal professional mentoring by educators and practitioners

Full-tuition scholarship for two years

Allowance for materials

Provision of a laptop computer
ITRL, ETLA Presentation
November 12, 2009
Project Partners
Project partners have agreed to serve in the ITRL grant based on their
leadership, role, knowledge, networks, experience, and interests in
promoting IT-based development and change in the region’s communities
 Nancy Renfro, Director of the Watauga Regional Library
 Donald B. Reynolds, Director of the Nolichucky Regional Library System
 Susan Simmons, Director of the Clinch-Powell Regional Library
 KC Williams, System Director of the Sevier County Public Library
Though all current project partners are located in the East Tennessee region,
representatives from other regional and county library systems in the Southern and
Central Appalachian region are being contacted to elicit their participation in the
various grant activities.
ITRL, ETLA Presentation
November 12, 2009
Five Phases of the ITRL Program
1. Recruitment of ITRL students from rural libraries in the Southern and
Central Appalachian region
2. Needs assessment of library services and information challenges faced
by rural regional libraries
3. Implementation of educational and training activities
4. Mentoring
5. Evaluation/assessment of program outcomes,
and dissemination of program results/experiences
ITRL, ETLA Presentation
November 12, 2009
Norris Community Library, TN
1. Recruitment

ITRL’s goal is to emphasize local and regional recruitment
of students holding paraprofessional jobs in rural libraries in the
Southern and Central Appalachian region .

Partners are recruiting potential candidates from their staff and
community populations. Other local, regional, and national public
library professionals are being contacted to elicit their proactive
participation in recruitment efforts.

Recruitment success will be evaluated, refined, and may continue
in the future, promoting rural librarianship as a track in the
profession and increasing the flow of rural library paraprofessionals
into accredited LIS programs.
ITRL, ETLA Presentation
November 12, 2009
Application and Admissions

Eligibility and Requirements
 Currently working in a rural Southern and Central Appalachian library
 Completed bachelor’s degree
 A 3.25 cumulative GPA in undergraduate coursework and GRE scores (above the fifty
percentile) or a cumulative GPA of 3.0 in 12 or more hours of graduate coursework
 Complete the UT SIS Admission Application and the ITRL Scholarship Program
Application.[URL: http://www.sis.utk.edu/files/ITRLScholarshipProgramApplication.pdf].

How to Apply:
1. Complete applications for admission to both UT Graduate School and SIS
2. Take the GRE and have scores sent to UT
3. Send transcripts from all colleges and universities attended
4. Complete the Personal Data Form
5. Write a one-page statement of intent (essay)
6. Have three academic and/or professional recommendations
7. Complete application for the ITRL scholarship program

ITRL, ETLA Presentation
November 12, 2009
2. Needs Assessment

An ITRL Needs Assessment Symposium [online and face-to-face
meetings] will be conducted in March/April 2010 and fifty library and
information professionals from across the Southern and Central
Appalachian region will provide feedback about library services and
information challenges faced by rural libraries in the region. Breakout sessions and focus groups will be orchestrated to address local
information needs, use of information resources and services,
challenges and barriers, areas of improvement, and use of
computers and information technologies.
Doddridge County Public
Library, West Union, WV
ITRL, ETLA Presentation
November 12, 2009
3. Education/Training Implementation
Students will have the opportunity to develop their own
customized projects within an individually-tailored
curriculum, where they pursue study of IT applications,
rural library research and management, and explore
development of topics in rural library settings.
Upshur County Public Library,
Buckhannon, WV
ITRL, ETLA Presentation
November 12, 2009
IS 574~Mehra
3a. Rural Management Outcomes




Service evaluation and
assessment in rural libraries
Planning and management of a
rural library program for
children (or young adults) and
adults
Reader’s advisory and
fiction/non-fiction genre
Grant writing and development
Jacksboro Public Library, TN
ITRL, ETLA Presentation
November 12, 2009
IS 574~Mehra
3b. IT Training






ITRL, ETLA Presentation
November 12, 2009
Technology infrastructure
planning, assessment, and
automation analysis of library
systems
Web design/development/usability
Database design/implementation
Building digital library/web portals
Establishing hardware/software
configurations for networking
systems
Creating Library 2.0 tools
4. Mentoring

An educator-practitioner team will provide each ITRL
student mentoring and guidance in their formal
coursework to integrate IT while developing
comprehensive solutions for rural libraries in the
Southern and Central Appalachian region.
Gloucester County Public
Library, VA (1914)
ITRL, ETLA Presentation
November 12, 2009
5. Evaluation

Throughout the duration of the ITRL project we will
continuously analyze the effectiveness of students’
experiences in developing IT applications in their
courses for their rural work environments.

This will include collecting data on career choice,
academic success, professional association
participation, and the graduates’ evaluation of the
program throughout their period of study.
ITRL, ETLA Presentation
November 12, 2009
How to Participate

Assist in recruitment of ITRL students as a member of the
ITRL Recruitment Board

Participate as a member of the ITRL Practitioner
Mentoring Board

Participation in the ITRL Needs Assessment Symposium
Jonesville Public Library, NC
ITRL, ETLA Presentation
November 12, 2009
The ITRL Website

http://www.sis.utk.edu/rural-librarianship
ITRL, ETLA Presentation
November 12, 2009
Questions and Comments???
Thank you for your attention and participation.
ITRL, ETLA Presentation
November 12, 2009