U.S. Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) and Joe Manchin (D-WV) today announced that the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) has awarded West Virginia University (WVU) Libraries with a Sparks! Ignition Grant for Libraries to address challenges faced by the student veteran community.
“Our men and women in uniform risk their lives to protect our freedoms. In return, we must continue to help those who have served after they return home and provide them with the support they deserve,” says Capito. “The Sparks! Ignition Grant for Libraries is welcome news for the WVU community and will enable its libraries to test new tools and innovations that will assist the student veteran community.”
“Student veterans face unique challenges when pursuing a degree in higher education, and we have a responsibility to them to make sure they have the tools and resources they need to succeed,” says Manchin. “This grant will fund a critical program at West Virginia University Libraries that is tailored to the academic and personal needs of student veterans and committed to meeting the needs of the student veteran community.”
The Sparks! grants provide libraries with funding to pilot innovations to address challenges faced by libraries and archives. WVU Libraries is one of 20 projects selected to receive $24,959 in funding. The Sparks! program selected projects that showed potential for a broad impact throughout their community.
WVU Libraries will use this funding to address the challenges faced by the student veteran community on campus by establishing campus partnerships, expanding services and creating resources tailored to individual students. The project proposal also includes plans for developing a mobile website and launching a research boot camp library instruction program focusing on the needs of student veterans.
