The Institute of Museum and Library Science (IMLS) has awarded Dr. Helen Tibbo a 2013 Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program grant of nearly $500,000 for her project, “CRADLE: Curating Research Assets and Data using Lifecycle Education Data Management Education Tools for Content Creators, Librarians and Archivists.”
The School of Information and Library Science (SILS), the Howard Odum Institute for Research in Social Science and University Libraries at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill will collaborate on the project which seeks to establish a comprehensive continuing learning program for librarians, archivists, Information and Library Science students and data creators that focuses on issues of data management, preservation and archiving. Dr. Tibbo, Alumni Distinguished Professor at SILS is the principal investigator on the project. Co-principal investigator is Thu-Mai Christian, SILS doctoral student. Dr. Paul Mihas, assistant director of Education & Qualitative Research at the Odum Institute, is a consultant on the project. Jonathan Crabtree, assistant director for Archives and Information Technology at the Odum Institute and another SILS doctoral student, is also working on the project. Barrie Hayes, Bioinformatics & Translational Science librarian from the UNC Health Sciences Library and Michele Hayslett, data services librarian, UNC University Library are key partners from the UNC Libraries System.
Among other objectives, members of the project team aims to produce high-quality massive open online (MOOC) data management instructional courses, provide multimedia self-paced courses through online “Free University” platforms and coordinate face-to-face workshops.
The grant process was competetive with IMLS receiving 84 applications for this year’s program with requests totalling $29,146,953. Dr. Tibbo was one of only 21 PIs nationwide to receive an award.
“As the information needs of Americans have evolved, so has the work of American libraries and librarians,” said IMLS Director Susan Hildreth. “The Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program helps address these needs by supporting the professional development and education of a new generation of librarians.”
