American Library Association Scholarships for U.S. or Canadian citizens or Permanent residents

ALA Scholarship Program

Course(s) Offered: Library / Information studies
Course Level: Graduate (masters)
Provider: American Library Association
Country to Study in: USA, Canada, Puerto Rico

Scholarship Description
The American Library Association (ALA) is committed to promoting and advancing the librarian profession. To demonstrate this commitment, the ALA and its units provide the ALA Scholarship Program every year.

Scholarships are offered in the following categories: i). General Scholarships; ii). Scholarships by Specialty or Practice Area; iii). Scholarships for Library Support Staff; and iv). Scholarships for People from Underrepresented Groups.

Some scholarships available through the ALA Scholarship Program are geared towards individuals planning to work in specific types of libraries or positions within the library. Speciality scholarships have been developed for people interested in areas of specialty interest.

Eligibility
Three major factors are considered in awarding these scholarships:

1. academic excellence;
2. leadership; and
3. evidence of commitment to a career in librarianship.

Eligible groups
Any U.S. or Canadian citizen or permanent residents

Participating Institutions
ALA-accredited master’s programs can be found at colleges and universities in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico.

These programs offer degrees with names such as Master of Library Science (MLS), Master of Arts, Master of Librarianship, Master of Library and Information Studies (MLIS), and Master of Science.

Fields of study
Graduate study in a master's degree in library and information studies from an ALA accredited program, or for a master's degree with a specialty in school librarianship that meets the ALA curriculum guidelines for a Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) accredited unit.

See the ALA Office of Accreditation's website for a list of ALA-Accredited programs. See the American Association of School Librarians' (AASL) website for the list of Nationally Recognized CAEP/AASL Reviewed & Approved School Librarianship Education Programs.

Number of awards
Not specified

Sponsorship duration
Covers the whole duration of the successful applicant's study

Scholarship benefits
Awards worth more than $300,000 are given out annually in the different categories listed above. Individual scholarship value and benefits are available on the official site.

Method of Application
You can apply for a variety of scholarships through the single online application hosted by the ALA Scholarship Program on its official website. It is only necessary to complete ONE online application regardless of the number of scholarships you apply for. You may apply for as many scholarships as you are eligible for by checking the appropriate boxes on the application form.

Additional items including references, personal statements, academic transcripts, etc are required for all scholarship applications. Be sure to check the requirements of the specific scholarship for which you are applying because you may need to mail additional documents. The scholarship application and the reference forms are both online submissions. The scholarship application and reference forms are available until March 1st.

It is important to visit the official website (link to it is below) to read the ALA Scholarship FAQ and carefully review the requirements in each category for the scholarships to which you are applying.

DEADLINES:
The scholarship process is open annually from 1 September - 1 March. Applications and reference forms (which must be submitted on-line) are available during that time period. Instructions and general information remain available year round.

The completed online application, personal statement, and three references must be received in the ALA Scholarship Clearinghouse by March 1st to be considered.

PLEASE NOTE:
Recipients will be contacted by phone after June 1st. All other applicants will be notified by e-mail after July 1st.

The American Library Association (ALA) is a nonprofit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with more than 62,000 members.

Application Deadline: 1 March 2018
Open to International Applicants: No

More Scholarship Information and Application

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