The Institute of Museum and Library Services announced $20m of funding to 31 institutions on June 17th. The School of Information received the largest funding of all schools in the nation through two awards:

Dr. Lynn Westbrook (PI), with Dr. Luis Francisco-Revilla and Dr. Gary Geisler (and Dr. Michael Khoo, Drexel University) received $1m for their project entitled "Cultivating Digital Librarianship Faculty: Tomorrow's Leaders in Research and Curriculum Development".

This work will educate four full-time doctoral students to become leaders in digital librarianship. Incorporating innovative coursework, in-depth research, teaching experiences, and wider engagement with the scholarly community, this project will develop library and information science faculty who will have both the theoretical understanding and practical skills required to develop the next generation of librarians who will be called upon to manage, preserve, and provide access to an ever-increasing array of digital resources. This project will focus on providing doctoral students with a deep understanding of digital librarianship in four specific areas: multimedia collections, digital library services, bridges between physical and digital libraries, and digital library evaluation.

Dr. Megan Winget received $225,000 as a Career Development Grant to advance her research entitled: "Video Games and the Cultural Record: Studying the Creation Processes and Artifacts of the Video Game Industry for the Purpose of Collection and Preservation"

This Early Career Development grant will provide support for Assistant Professor Megan Winget to study the collection and preservation of "massively multiplayer online" (MMO) games. Currently, preservation models for many types of digital creations focus on the end product, resulting in the loss of most of the artifacts from the creative process. This becomes especially problematic as an increasing number of digital products have no definite completion. Using ethnographic research techniques, Dr. Winget will seek to better understand the video game industry's methods, behaviors, and attitudes for the purpose of building more meaningful models of collection and preservation of complex, community-built digital creations. This research carries the promise of informing a wide array of issues in digital preservation, from digital media art to immersive learning environments.

About IMLS:

The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation's 122,000 libraries and 17,500 museums. The Institute's mission is to create strong libraries and museums that connect people to information and ideas. The Institute works at the national level and in coordination with state and local organizations to sustain heritage, culture, and knowledge; enhance learning and innovation; and support professional development. To learn more about the Institute, please visit http://www.imls.gov.