It is the purpose of this part to develop a diverse workforce of librarians by—

(1) 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;

(2) 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

(3) 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.

From the amounts provided under section 9123(a)(2) of this title, the Director may enter into arrangements, including grants, contracts, cooperative agreements, and other forms of assistance, with libraries, library consortia and associations, institutions of higher education (as defined in section 1001 of this title), and other entities that the Director determines appropriate, for projects that further the purpose of this part, such as projects that—

(1) increase the number of students enrolled in nationally accredited graduate library and information science programs and preparing for careers of service in libraries;

(2) recruit future professionals, including efforts to attract promising middle school, high school, or postsecondary students to consider careers in library and information science;

(3) develop or enhance professional development programs for librarians and the library workforce;

(4) enhance curricula within nationally accredited graduate library and information science programs;

(5) 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

(6) 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.

(Pub. L. 94–462, title II, § 264, as added Pub. L. 111–340, title II, § 207, Dec. 22, 2010, 124 Stat. 3602; amended Pub. L. 115–410, § 15, Dec. 31, 2018, 132 Stat. 5419.)