The northern illinois university, university libraries in partnership with northeastern illinois university libraries, and the library at harry s truman college, one of the city colleges of chicago,…

The Institute of Museum and Library Services awarded Northern Illinois University $465,166 for a Project Grant on September 1, 2026, under the National Leadership Grants program (CFDA 45.312).

Northern Illinois University Libraries, in partnership with Northeastern Illinois University Libraries and the Library at Harry S Truman College (a City Colleges of Chicago institution), will adapt, deploy, and disseminate ethnographic research tools to investigate undergraduate and community college student research processes at public higher education institutions. The project updates tools originally developed through the Ethnographic Research in Illinois Academic Libraries Project and unfolds across four phases: adaptation of protocols, piloting instruments, deployment across the three partner sites, and analysis and dissemination. The team will recruit participants to support two complementary methods—research process and ethnographic interviews, and photo journals and mapping diaries—to capture both observed student research behaviors and reflective mapping of student research activities.

Performance occurs in DeKalb, Illinois, with the period of performance running through August 31, 2028. The award is structured to generate models, tools, research findings, and practices that can be adapted, scaled, or replicated to advance library services and practice.

The northern illinois university, university libraries in partnership with northeastern illinois university libraries, and the library at harry s truman college, one of the city colleges of chicago, will perform research to adapt, deploy, and disseminate ethnographic research tools to investigate undergraduate and community college student research processes at public higher education institutions. This project is based on updating tools originally developed through the ethnographic research in illinois academic libraries project. Over four phases-adaptation of protocols, piloting instruments, deployment across three sites, and analysis and dissemination-the team will recruit participants to support two complementary methods: research process/ethnographic interviews and photo journals/mapping diaries. Data collection will capture both observed behaviors and reflective mapping of student research activities.