First Lady Unveils $10 Million Plan to Recruit Librarians

There's nothing like having the First Lady on your side. Laura Bush recently unveiled a $10 million government initiative to attract a new generation of librarians—and the profession sure needs it. Speaking to a group at the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library in Kansas, Bush cited a May 2000 issue of Library Journal, which reported that "40 percent of America's library directors plan to retire in nine years or less." The March issue of American Libraries also reveals that, according to 1990 U.S. Census Bureau data, almost 58 percent of professional librarians will reach the age of 65 between 2005 and 2019. As a result, President Bush's budget for fiscal year 2003 includes a $10 million proposal to recruit and train library professionals. "This initiative will provide scholarships to graduate students in library and information science, support distance-learning technology for training programs in underserved areas, and recruit librarians with diverse language skills," the First Lady says.

But several steps need to be taken before any of that money becomes available. Congress must first obtain bipartisan support for the plan to include it in the appropriations bill, and then the President must sign it into law. Mamie Bittner, director of legislative and public affairs for the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), says if all goes as planned, the earliest date the money will become available to her agency, which will manage the program, is October 1. Based in Washington, DC, the IMLS is an independent federal agency that supports all of the nation's 122,000 libraries through state grants and competitive awards.

This isn't the first time the federal government has sought to help with librarian recruiting efforts. The Higher Education Act, which ended in 1996, provided about $2 million to fellowships and institutes to train librarians, Bittner says. "The difference here is the scale of the effort," she adds. "At $10 million, it's safe to say that this initiative is unprecedented in size."

IMLS and experts in the library profession are working out details of the new initiative— specifically, the criteria for receiving money and how it will be spent. IMLS's director, Robert Martin, says President Bush's signing of the "No Child Left Behind Act" in early January, coupled with this announcement, demonstrates the administration's commitment to education. "Recruiting and educating the next generation of librarians is essential," Martin says. "They help parents teach their children before they enter school; they are partners with the schools in their communities; and they help adults continue to achieve and enjoy learning throughout their lifetimes."