Home » Trigg County library employee first to complete college informatics program at NKU

Trigg County library employee first to complete college informatics program at NKU

FRANKFORT, Ky. (Feb. 20, 2012) – Betsy Herndon Garland, a employee at the John L. Street Public Library in Trigg County, is the first graduate of the new library informatics bachelor of science program at Northern Kentucky University (NKU).

The Trigg County resident was also a recipient of a scholarship from the federally-funded project called Bridging the Gap: Supplying the Next Generation of Librarians to the Underserved Counties of Rural Kentucky.

The scholarship program was part of the Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program, which supports efforts to recruit and educate the next generation of librarians. Bridging the Gap was offered through a partnership between the Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives (KDLA), NKU and Bluegrass Community and Technical College (BCTC). Garland was one of more than 50 scholarship recipients who work in libraries in the Commonwealth’s high-poverty rural areas.
Garland is a graduate of Trigg County High School and attended Hopkinsville Community College before transferring to NKU.

“I have definitely become much better at my job since using what I learned from my degree,” said Garland. “But, most importantly, I believe that in the near future I will be promoted to a full-time job at the library based on my degree. My library informatics degree has definitely fast-tracked me towards full-time employment and has put me at the top of the list.”

According to NKU, the library informatics program at NKU is designed for those students who want to better understand the relationships among people, information and technology.

KDLA provides equitable access to quality library and information resources and services, as well as helps public agencies ensure that legislatively mandated documentation of government programs is created, efficiently maintained and made accessible.

For more information on KDLA resources, programs and services visitwww.kdla.ky.gov or call 502-564-8300 ext. 315.