Louise Greene
Hello! My name is Louise W. Greene and I am currently the Public Library Consultant for Rolling Prairie Library System in Decatur, Illinois. We are located in an agricultural and agribusiness area and I consult for 45 small and rural libraries across the Central Illinois prairie. I am also the co-creator of ThinkOutside theBarn@your library®, an advocacy and outreach project for the small and rural library. This past year I was elected to the board of the Association of Rural and Small Libraries (ARSL) and I serve on the subcommittee for developing relationships.
I received a BA from University of the Pacific, Stockton, CA, a MS from Texas A&M University, College Station and a MLS from the University of Maryland, College Park. As a librarian I have worked in archives, reference and cataloging. I also worked on the Illinois Newspaper Project, a grant from IMLS to the University of Illinois. I was tasked with locating and cataloging historic newspapers in sleepy towns and out of the way places in Southern Illinois.
The PEARL Project scholarship is a fantastic opportunity to lay a foundation for the importance of study of the rural library. It is exciting to be a participant. In this connected world, the rural library has taken on new meaning in the community it serves. The project gives the rural library a voice. Under Dr. Du’s direction, I hope that rural libraries will grow stronger as the project develops, learn from one another, and offer excellent service to their communities.
Contact Information
Email: lwgift{at}earthlink.net