Hello everyone! Here is some news from the American Library Association on the Spectrum Scholarship program:
ALA’s Office for Diversity, Literacy and Outreach Services (ODLOS) will host an informational webinar at 5 p.m. Central on December 2 aimed at current and prospective Spectrum Scholarship program applicants to discuss the application process and give tips and information on navigating additional funding sources for MLS/MLIS programs.
If you are interested in learning more about the scholarship program and upcoming webinar, you can find more information via the sign-up link: https://forms.gle/oPCKKsgT7mmqqBD78.
The Spectrum Scholarship Program, administered by ODLOS, provides scholarships to American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian, Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino, Middle Eastern and North African, and/or Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander students to assist them with obtaining a graduate degree and leadership positions within the profession and ALA. More than 1,200 library leaders have benefited from funding, community building, and opportunities to collectively advance equity, diversity, and inclusion as part of the Spectrum network.
Each year ALA provides over $450,000 in scholarships. Learn more at www.ala.org/scholarships.
In addition to funding 60 students annually with $5,000 tuition scholarships, the program:
- Pairs financial assistance with leadership development resources and community-building to address both short-term and long-term barriers facing the recruitment and retention of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) in the library and information science world.
- Through the efforts of the Spectrum Advisory Committee, works to leverage Spectrum’s name, network of 1,200+ alumni, supporters, and partners to creatively build community and leadership spaces for all BIPOC workers in library and information science.
- Creates educational curricula around the ways Scholars’ race and ethnicity intersect with other social identities, how folks may experience privilege and oppression, and the ways folks can lead through community organizing.
- Connects the work of Spectrum to the broader work of the Office for Diversity, Literacy and Outreach Services, and the work of the association at large.
Visit their website to learn more about Spectrum, including frequently asked questions, application instructions, and Scholar resources.
Applications for funding for the 2021-2022 academic year are currently open with a deadline of March 1, 2021.