SILS receives NSF grant for digital library curriculum

The National Science Foundation has awarded a three-year grant of over a half million dollars to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) to develop a digital library curriculum.

The project is entitled "Collaborative Research: Curriculum Development: Digital Libraries." The effort at UNC's School of Information and Library Science will be led by Dr. Barbara Wildemuth, principal investigator and Francis Carroll McColl Term Professor, and Dr. Jeffrey P. Pomerantz, co-principal investigator and assistant professor, and Virginia Tech's effort will be led by Dr. Edward A. Fox, principal investigator and professor of computer science.

Researchers investigating a digital library curriculum include Dr. Barbara Wildemuth, UNC at Chapel Hill; Dr. Edward Fox,Virginia Tech; and Dr. Jeffrey Pomerantz, UNC at Chapel Hill.

"The research will focus on developing and field testing individual lessons/modules that can be incorporated within courses or used to support an entire course," said Wildemuth. "With the assistance of our Advisory Board, students in doctoral consortia and other experts, we will design, implement and field test the modules."

"Programs in computer science, as well as information and library science, at any institution with interest in digital libraries, may draw upon the project deliverables to enhance existing courses, add digital library (or related) courses or even deploy a digital library curriculum," said Fox. "Digital library users will thus benefit from the improved understanding of those who build the next generation of digital library systems," he added.

The award is effective January 1, 2006 and expires December 31, 2008. UNC at Chapel Hill was awarded $83,558 for the first year (with expected awards of $89,867 and $88,982 for 2007 and 2008, respectively); Virginia Tech was awarded $88,431 for the first year (with expected awards of $90,038 and $93,718 for 2007 and 2008, respectively).