Marshall university will examine how school administrators understand and evaluate school library programs in rural appalachian districts

The Institute of Museum and Library Services awarded Marshall University Research Corporation $399,040 on September 1, 2026, under the Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program (CFDA 45.313) to examine how school administrators understand and evaluate school library programs in rural Appalachian districts.

The planning project will convene a regional advisory board and design structured interview protocols and survey instruments to investigate how school library programs are currently defined, evaluated, and understood within district leadership systems. The work addresses the documented decline in certified school librarian staffing across rural regions, including Appalachia, where nearly one-third of U.S. schools lack librarian positions and West Virginia ranks among the highest-shortage states. The project will examine how current evaluation practices influence institutional decision-making related to program sustainability and workforce stability.

Performance occurs in Huntington, West Virginia, with a period of performance from September 1, 2026, through August 31, 2028. This is a project grant, an assistance type supporting recruitment, development, and retention of library and archives professionals to meet community information needs.

School libraries remain a critical component of literacy development, information access, and instructional collaboration, yet in many rural regions, including appalachia, the number of schools staffed by certified school librarians continues to decline. National workforce analyses indicate that nearly one-third of U.S. Schools lack librarian staffing, with west virginia among the states with the highest rates. This planning project will investigate how current evaluation practices influence institutional decision making related to program sustainability and workforce stability. The project will convene a regional advisory board and design structured interview protocols and survey instruments to examine how school library programs are currently defined, evaluated, and understood within district leadership systems.