The catholic university of america in partnership with rural library directors in virginia, illinois, and massachusetts, will develop a self-paced, web-based online professional development course for…

The Institute of Museum and Library Services awarded Catholic University of America $574,310 on September 1, 2026, under the Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program (CFDA 45.313) to develop a self-paced, web-based professional development course for library staff delivering reader services to adults.

The award funds the creation of 15 short modules addressing gaps in rural library professional development, including limited training beyond fiction genre work, high costs of existing professional development, and access barriers for non-librarian staff. The course targets library personnel working with readers one-on-one, through book groups, literacy programs, outreach initiatives, and online engagements. Catholic University of America will partner with rural library directors in Virginia, Illinois, and Massachusetts to leverage academic expertise, practical experience, and new technologies in course design and delivery.

Performance runs from September 1, 2026, through August 31, 2029, with work performed in Washington, DC. The program aims to build library and archival workforce capacity by providing training and professional development to library professionals, with particular focus on the resource constraints and staffing limitations that characterize rural library operations.

The catholic university of america in partnership with rural library directors in virginia, illinois, and massachusetts, will develop a self-paced, web-based online professional development course for library staff who deliver reader services to adults. The training, consisting of 15 short modules, will benefit those who work with readers one-on-one, through book groups, literacy programs, outreach initiatives, and online reading engagements. IT will address challenges facing libraries in this arena, including limited opportunities beyond fiction genre training, the expense of most professional development, and access to this kind of training for staff that are not librarians. These issues are exacerbated in rural libraries that generally operate with scarcer resources and limited personnel. The project will leverage a combination of academic expertise, practical experience, and new technologies.