Three librarians at the University of Southern Mississippi Libraries were awarded a $33,000 grant from the Jimmy A. Payne Foundation in June 2021 to establish a three-month postgraduate fellowship for recent graduates of the University of Southern Mississippi’s Master of Library and Information Science program. The fellowship, poised to be the only one of its kind in the region, will provide newly degreed librarians with real-world experience as a professional librarian.

The fellowship will provide experience working in an academic library’s research services unit. Fellows will work alongside faculty librarians to develop skills in providing specialized information literacy instruction, research consultations, and related services to undergraduate and graduate students and faculty in programs across the university, as well as assisting members of the surrounding local community. Fellows will advance their analytical and critical thinking skills while building skills in customer service, communication, and collegiality. Fellows will develop “behind the scenes” knowledge with exposure to computer technology that is commonly used in academic libraries. The fellowship will be offered in spring for December graduates and in summer for May graduates.

The grant application was submitted by Michele Frasier-Robinson (Associate Professor/Education and Human Sciences Librarian), Jamie Stanfield (Assistant Professor/Business and Health Librarian and Online Learning Coordinator), and Tisha Zelner (Associate Professor/Head of Public Services).

The Jimmy A. Payne Foundation has also graciously awarded Digital Collections $50,000 to upgrade and purchase new digitization stations. This funding will purchase flatbed scanners, transparency lids, high-end computers, along with monitors and memory. This would allow the digital lab to rotate out the older equipment and increase our production quality as well as give students experience with the current hardware they are likely to encounter in the field. Digital Collections is grateful to the Jimmy A. Payne Foundation for their support and looking forward to what we can accomplish in the future.

Submitted by:

Tisha Zelner

Head of Public Services

University of Southern Mississippi

Elizabeth La Beaud

Digital Lab Manager

University of Southern Mississippi