The Florida State University College of Information along with its partners, the New York University Research Center for Leadership in Action and local school districts, received a $754,755 research grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). Dr Nancy Everhart is principal investigator of “Leadership in Action: School Library Media Specialists for the 21st Century: Leaders Educated to Make Difference,” funded by the Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program.

“Leadership in Action” supports the next step of two previously funded IMLS projects, Project LEAD (2005) and 1-2-3 LEAD (2006). Project LEAD is an ongoing graduate leadership program that is the only known program in the nation that incorporates the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards principles into its school library media curriculum. In 1-2-3 LEAD, thirty diverse teacher-leaders received fellowships for a leadership master’s degree program at the FSU College of Information. They began a two-and-a-half year program of study in January 2007 and will graduate in summer 2009.

Funded by the new grant, Dr. Everhart and her partners will evaluate the outcome of the leadership education that the 30 fellows received by following them through their first year of employment in schools. The researchers look to determine how library and information science education can better prepare school library media specialists to be leaders in the integration of technology throughout their schools. According to Everhart, “This new grant will essentially determine if our leadership graduates can not only talk the talk but walk the walk.”

For more information, contact Dr. Nancy Everhart (everhart@ci.fsu 850-644-8122).