Student Scholarships

Purpose

To provide opportunities for library school students to participate in an ACRL professional development experience and to learn more about current issues and developments in academic and research libraries.

Goals

  • Provide students with an active, positive interaction with ACRL which will strengthen their understanding of and interest in academic librarianship
  • Provide students with a professional development opportunity that will assist them in building a network of colleagues
  • Increase library school students' participation in ACRL professional development activities
  • Increase ACRL's efforts toward being a more inclusive organization

Award

Ten scholarships will be awarded. Each will include complimentary registration (a $100 value), and $600 stipend to attend the ACRL 2013 conference, April 10 - 13, 2013 in Indianapolis, IN. The total value of each scholarship is $700.

Eligibility Criteria

Scholarship applicants must be:

  • Enrolled full-time at an ALA-accredited institution (full-time status as defined by your institution)
  • Recommended by one of the following: the library school dean, director, advisor or professor

Application Process

  • Obtain a recommendation from their dean/director/advisor/professor in electronic form that can be cut and pasted into the application (not to exceed 300 words).
  • Complete the online Library School Student Scholarship Application. The application includes a brief summary of the applicant's progress towards their degree as well as a description of how attendance at the ACRL conference will support their long-term goals (not to exceed 300 words).

NOTE: Only electronic submissions via the Library School Student Scholarship Application will be considered. The form does not allow submissions to be saved and resumed. Prepare your answers and have your recommendation obtained before starting the online application. Please double-check all your answers before pushing the ‘submit’ button.

Deadline for Submission

The application deadline is Friday, November 9, 2012 (11:59 p.m. Central).

Selection Criteria

The award committee consists of members of the ACRL Conference Scholarship Committee. The committee will strive to achieve both diversity and balance among scholarship recipients based on the following factors:

  • Responses to open-ended questions on the application form
  • Dean/director/advisor/professor recommendation
  • Educational experience, background and geographical diversity

In awarding the scholarships, special attention will be given to students from diverse backgrounds. Preference will be given to students who are current members of ALA and ACRL. Preference will also be given to individuals who have not previously been awarded an ACRL scholarship. Individuals may only receive one ACRL scholarship per professional development event.

Selection Notification

Scholarship applicants will be notified via e-mail by January 31, 2013. Applicants should not register for the ACRL 2013 conference until notified of their status to avoid the need for refunds. The discounted early-bird registration rate will be available until February 22, 2013 for those that may not receive a scholarship, but still want to attend.

For questions contact Tory Ondrla, ACRL Conference Supervisor at tondrla@ala.org.