LIASA Higher Education Libraries Interest Group: [Lib-helig-l] LIASA receives R10million Grant from Carnegie Corporation

Dear Colleagues

It gives me immense pleasure to announce that LIASA has been awarded a 4-year grant totaling approximately R10million to develop a Postgraduate Diploma Scholarship programme for public librarians working at Carnegie Model Libraries.

The Executive Committee has been working very hard over the past few months on the proposal to the Carnegie Corporation. We are therefore very pleased that the Board of the Carnegie Corporation has awarded the grant of $1.5Million to LIASA.

This grant will allow LIASA to:

Develop a one-year postgraduate diploma (PGDipLIS) scholarship program that supports the formal qualification of public library employees at Carnegie model libraries in South Africa
Develop a corps of 110 well trained and qualified public librarians who will be able to contribute professionally to their institutions
Achieve a high level of measurable improved skills and service delivery amongst public librarians
Revitalize the profession and produce a cohort of vibrant modern public librarians well versed in information communication and technology (ICT) and information literacy
Expand its current training programme based in the Centre for Information Career Development (CiCD) which addresses continuing professional development and workplace skills development of librarians

This project will succeed in addressing a critical training need within the South African Library and Information Services (LIS) Profession and will assist the Association in delivering on one of its strategic objectives of providing training opportunities for LIS practitioners.

Please find attached the official Media Release.

Naomi Haasbroek

President

Library and Information Association of South Africa

president@liasa.org.za

http://www.liasa.org.za

Twitter: www.twitter.com/LIASANews

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