Dear students: Greetings! One graduate student assistant position has recently become available for working on the IMLS funded grant project entitled “The Role of Rural Public Libraries in Small Business Economic Development in the Appalachian Region: A Case Study of Tennessee (PLSB-TN)” with Drs. Bharat Mehra and Wade Bishop, School of Information Sciences.

The PLSB-TN goal is to research the role rural public libraries play in economic development and economic growth by focusing on the state of Tennessee. One graduate student assistant will be hired to assist in various PLSB-TN activities that include:

·       Collection of qualitative and quantitative feedback based on the needs, expectations, and experiences of small businesses and rural public libraries in the state.

·       Development of preliminary planning activities, analysis of existing needs and feasibility, building of community partnerships, and development of initial work plans, blueprint, and strategic action plan prototype of a Public Library Small Business Toolkit.

·       Design and development of the PLSB-TN website.

·       Preparation of reporting documents, publications, and publicizing of the overall grant activities conducted during the PLSB-TN duration (October 2014 - September 2015) in various conference presentations.

The graduate student assistant will need the following skills:  

(1) Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

(2) Excellent organization abilities, time-management skills, and ability to work without supervision to produce high-quality results.

(3) Experience (and/or interest) in using Drupal content management software for web design and development.

This is an hourly-paid position for maximum 10 hour a week at $15/hour lasting till September 30, 2015.The position will begin immediately. DE students are also encouraged to apply.

Interested parties should contact Dr. Bharat Mehra ASAP via email [log in to unmask] with a cover letter and resume.