University of South Florida, School of Library and Information Science University of South Florida School of Library and Information Science
   



                             

USF School of Library and Information Science
Is Recruiting Applicants for ALSTARS:  Academic Librarians for Tomorrow's Academic Researchers

A funding initiative of IMLS:  Recruiting and Educating Librarians for the 21st Century (award amount of $758,736 for total project)

Scholarship opportunity for 24 full time students who will begin  the master's program in Library and Information Science  at USF in Spring 2006 and complete the program  no later than Fall 2007 (requires enrollment in at least three classes per semester).  The successful applicant will have a master's degree in an academic discipline or will be committed to undertaking a dual master's program to earn both a subject master's degree as well as the degree in library and information science.

IMPORTANT:  Deadline October 1, 2005 to submit ALL materials required for acceptance to the master's program in Library and Information Science and to submit required materials for consideration for the ALSTARS Scholarship Program.  Press here to download the PDF application form.



Academic Librarians for Tomorrow's Academic Researchers (ALSTARS)

Program Directors:  Dr. Vicki L. Gregory and Dr. Anna H. Perrault

Academic and research libraries are facing a continually growing need for librarians with the special skill set for academic librarianship as a large percentage (estimated to be between 40 and 68 percent) of the current academic librarians are reaching retirement age in the near 10 to 15 years. The School of Library and Information Science at the University of South Florida (USF) in partnership with the USF Tampa Campus Library, the Library at the University of Central Florida, and the Library at Florida Atlantic University is planning to educate a cohort of 24 future academic librarians in three geographical areas in the State of Florida: Tampa Bay area, Orlando, and Boca Raton/Ft. Lauderdale.

The library profession has collectively voiced concern about recruitment to replace the number of retiring librarians. These concerns are not confined to one sector or type of librarianship, although the needs may differ. Diversity recruitment also remains a major concern. A study by Stanley Wilder published by the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) succinctly presents the problem for academic libraries:

Thousands of librarians will be retiring in the next 10 years and when they do, they will take with them a vast supply of accumulated expertise, and leave behind a host of new staffing and organizational issues. The approaching wave of retirements may be the most important human resources phenomenon facing the profession...The real management issue resulting from retirements is replacements: how can librarianship recruit new entrants to the profession in sufficient numbers, quality, and expertise to replace  its retirees?  (Wilder, 1)

Clearly, candidates with advanced subject degrees or other special expertise are more highly sought after than those who only possess the master’s degree in library science. The major academic library associations have all taken up the issue of burgeoning retirements and the need to recruit new hires with new skills. The ALA Association of College and Research Libraries Ad Hoc Task Force on Recruitment and Retention Issues drafted a white paper in 2002, “Recruitment, Retention and Restructuring: Human Resources in Academic Libraries.” (ACRL)  The ACRL Western European Studies Section (WESS) has taken up the recruitment issue of finding librarians to hire who have foreign language expertise.  At the 2001 ALA Annual Conference the WESS Research and Planning Committee and the WESS Cataloging Discussion Group cosponsored a program on the difficulties of finding catalogers with European language skills (Kellsey).  Subsequent to that program WESS formed a Subcommittee on Recruitment to formulate an action plan to recruit foreign language and area studies majors and graduate students to consider careers in academic librarianship.

 The Association of Southeastern Research Libraries (ASERL) established an Education Committee in 1999 to investigate the educational needs of librarians to support the research library of the future.  “Shaping the Future” presents five broad competencies for librarians who work in research libraries. The introductory paragraph describes the successful research librarian as possessing “intellectual curiosity, flexibility, adaptability, persistence, and the ability to be enterprising.  Research librarians possess excellent communication skills.  They are committed to lifelong learning and personal career development” (ASERL, 5).

ACRL Personnel Administrators and Staff Development Officers Discussion Group, Ad Hoc Task Force on Recruitment and Retention Issues (2002). “Recruitment, retention and restructuring: human resources in academic libraries.” Available at: http://www.acrl.org/

ARL Program Plan, 2004.Washington, DC: ARL.Available at: http://www.arl.org/arl/pp2004/ppdiv.html

Kellsey, Charlene (June 2003). “Crisis in foreign language expertise in research libraries.” C&RL News, pp. 391-392, 397.

ASERL: (2000).  Shaping the future: ASERL’s competencies for research librarians.  Association of Southeastern Research Libraries.  Available at: http://www.aserl.org/statement/competencies/competencies.htm.

Wilder, Stanley (April 2002).  “New hires in research libraries: demographic trends and hiring priorities.” ARL Bimonthly Report 221.

To read more about the IMLS (Institute of Museum and Library Services) grant awards, press here.

To apply for a scholarship through the ALSTARS Program that will pay full tuition for required courses taken for completion of the  master's degree program of the School of Library and Information Science, University of South Florida, prospective students must do the following:
  1. Apply for admission to USF Graduate School.  For more information see http://admissions.grad.usf.edu/prospective/Graduate_Application.html
  2. Additionally, the following items should be sent directly to
Dr. Vicki L. Gregory
ALSTARS Application
School of Library and Information Science
University of South Florida
4202 E. Fowler Avenue -- CIS 1040
Tampa, Florida 33620-7800
    1. Completed scholarship application.  Download PDF here.
    2. Three letters of recommendation  from employers or former university-level instructors who are able to attest to your academic qualifications; your ability to prioritize work, work independently, communicate effectively with colleagues, interact with the public; and who demonstrate awareness of your career goals.
    3. Statement of purpose in which you indicate reasons for selecting a career in library/information science; show an awareness of the mission and role of libraries in an academic institutions; express a commitment to work in an academic research setting; demonstrate adequate preparation in an academic discipline; and indicate an awareness and acceptance of diversity in society.
    4. Current professional résumé.
NOTE:  Students who are awarded a scholarship through the IMLS/ALSTARS program will be required to sign a service expectation agreement.  A copy is included in the scholarship application.

Selection of scholarship recipients will be based on academic achievement and academic potential as well as  projected success as a library/information professional in an academic research library.

For inquiries regarding admission to the master's program please contact
Mel Pace, Associate Director
School of Library and Information Science
University of South Florida
4202 E. Fowler Avenue -- CIS 1040
Tampa, Florida 33620-7800
Telephone:  813-974-7650
Email: tpace@cas.usf.edu
For inquiries regarding the ALSTARS scholarship application please contact

Dr. Vicki L. Gregory, Director
School of Library and Information Science
University of South Florida
4202 E. Fowler Avenue -- CIS 1040
Tampa, Florida 33620-7800
Telephone: 813-974-3520


Si prefiere comunicarse con alguien en español:
Sonia Ramírez Wohlmuth, Instructor
School of Library and Information Science
University of South Florida
4202 E. Fowler Avenue -- CIS 1040
Tampa, Florida 33620-7800
Telephone:  813-974-6837
Email: swohlmut@cas.usf.edu


School of Library and Information Science
University of South Florida
4202 East Fowler Ave, CIS1040
Tampa, FL 33620-7800
Phone Number: (813) 974-3520
E-mail: lisinfo@cas.usf.edu


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Last updated:  8 August 2005