Montana state university, in collaboration with the center for research on rural education and statewide mentorship programs in montana and alaska, will address persistent shortages of certified…

The Institute of Museum and Library Services awarded Montana State University $2.341 million on September 1, 2026, under the Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program (CFDA 45.313) to address certified school librarian shortages in rural communities across Montana and Alaska.

Working in collaboration with the Center for Research on Rural Education and Statewide Mentorship Programs in Montana and Alaska, Montana State University will conduct a regional needs assessment, develop and pilot an evidence-based toolkit for rural school administrators, and recruit and support 16 teacher-librarian candidates over the three-year performance period ending August 31, 2029. The project will produce recruitment guides, certification pathway maps, and mentoring tools designed to prepare existing teachers for librarian roles, along with a freely accessible toolkit for districts. Performance occurs in Bozeman, Montana.

The award is structured as a project grant, one of the assistance types supported by the Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program to recruit, educate, and retain library professionals and build institutional capacity across libraries and library and information science graduate programs.

Montana state university, in collaboration with the center for research on rural education and statewide mentorship programs in montana and alaska, will address persistent shortages of certified school librarians in rural communities. This three-year project will conduct a regional needs assessment, develop and pilot an evidence-based toolkit for rural school administrators, and recruit and support 16 teacher-librarian candidates. The project will equip districts with practical strategies and resources, such as recruitment guides, certification pathway maps, and mentoring tools to prepare existing teachers for librarian roles. By producing both newly certified librarians and a freely accessible toolkit, the project will strengthen rural library staffing, expand students' access to high-quality information literacy instruction, and build workforce capacity across participating states and beyond.