MEDIA RELEASES

Dominican University’s School of Library and Information Science has received a $4,900 2008 Library Services and Technology Act grant for a project entitled “Poetry Now! Engaging Library Users Through Poetry Programming and Collection Development.” The grant was awarded by the Illinois State Library.

The project, inspired by GSLIS faculty member Michael Leonard, will provide programs and poetry writing contests for student poets in Oak Park and River Forest in March and April of 2008. It will culminate in a two-day poetry conference at Dominican University that will highlight best practices for creating poetry events, building poetry collections and reaching diverse communities through poetry. The grant proposal received commendations for the number and excellence of the project’s partners, which include Oak Park and River Forest High School, Trinity High School, Fenwick High School, the Oak Park Public Library, the River Forest Public Library and Concordia University.

“We are excited about creating venues for student poets through their participation in this project, and we hope that the collaborative efforts between the libraries and the schools will help inspire future poets,” said Leonard.

For more information on this program, please contact Michael Leonard at (708) 524-6861.

Accredited by the American Library Association, Dominican University’s GSLIS has been educating future library leaders and information professionals since the 1930s. The school offers master’s degrees in library and information science and in knowledge management.

Founded in 1901, Dominican University is a comprehensive, coeducational Catholic institution offering bachelor’s and master’s degrees. In the 2008 issue of America’s Best Colleges, U.S. News & World Report again ranked Dominican University in the top tier of Midwest master’s level universities and as a “best value” for the tenth consecutive year.