20 U.S.C. § 9165: Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program

recruiting and educating the next generation of librarians from diverse and underrepresented backgrounds, including by encouraging at the middle school, high school, and postsecondary levels students to pursue careers in library and information science; developing faculty and library leaders from diverse and underrepresented backgrounds, including by increasing the institutional capacity of graduate schools of library and information science; and enhancing the training and professional development of librarians and the library workforce to enable librarians and the library workforce to meet the needs of their communities, including those needs relating to education, lifelong learning, workforce development, economic and business development, health information, critical thinking skills, digital literacy skills, financial and other types of literacy skills, and new and emerging technology. increase the number of students enrolled in nationally accredited graduate library and information science programs and preparing for careers of service in libraries; recruit future professionals, including efforts to attract promising middle school, high school, or postsecondary students to consider careers in library and information science; develop or enhance professional development programs for librarians and the library workforce; enhance curricula within nationally accredited graduate library and information science programs; enhance doctoral education in order to develop faculty to educate the future generation of library professionals and develop the future generation of library leaders; and conduct research, including research to support the successful recruitment and education of the next generation of librarians. The Director shall establish procedures for reviewing and evaluating projects supported under this part.