It is a troubling reality that our current ranks do not represent the communities we serve. Data collected by ALA's Office for Research and Statistics in 1998 indicates that 87% of both academic and public librarians are white. The library community offers several scholarships to recruit librarians from a rich variety of backgrounds.
Diversity Librarian Fellowship and Residency Program 2010-2012 (MLIS) @ University of Pittsburgh
The Diversity Librarian Fellowship and Residency Program offers minority candidates an opportunity for pursuing the Master's in Library and Information Science degree while gaining valuable, “hands-on” experience in a large academic library system. The goal of this two-year program is to increase the number of underrepresented racial/ethnic minorities within academic librarianship by providing the graduate education and the practical experience critical for successful entrance into the profession.E. J. Josey Scholarship for Minorities @ University of Pittsburgh
This scholarship provides a one-time $3,000 tuition scholarship to an African-American student with potential for academic excellence and leadership in the profession. Professor Josey and the Financial Aid Committee select the recipient.2010 E. J. Josey Scholarship Award
The 2010 E J Josey Award Scholarship Committee of the Black Caucus of the American Library Association seeks essay submissions that reflect and memorialize the life and accomplishments of the founder of the Black Caucus of the American Library Association, former President of ALA, library leader, social activist and humanitarian. The E. J. Josey Scholarships are two (2) unrestricted grants of $2,000 awarded annually to African American students enrolled in or accepted by ALA accredited programs.American Association of Law Libraries & Thomson West - George A. Strait Minority Scholarship Endowment
George A. Strait Minority Scholarships are awarded annually to college graduates with meaningful law library experience who are members of a minority group as defined by current U.S. government guidelines, are degree candidates in an accredited library or law school, and who intend to have a career in law librarianship. Applicants must show evidence of financial need.Circle of Learning Scholarship with San Jose School of Library and Information Science
The San Jose School of Library and Information Science (SLIS) is partnering with the American Indian Library Association (AILA) to launch Circle of Learning — an initiative designed to recruit and support American Indians and Alaska Natives who are interested in earning a Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) degree. The scholarship program is designed for Native students who want to earn a fully online ALA-accredited MLIS degree. Scholarship recipients will receive financial assistance and other support, including mentoring, career advisement, field experiences, involvement in professional conferences and workshops, and interaction with Native leaders in the profession.American Library Association's Spectrum Scholarship Program
If you are considering a degree in library and information science, or if you know a student, library worker, or college graduate from an underrepresented group who might help shape the future of library services, the time is now to learn more about the American Library Association's Spectrum Scholarships. Established in 1997, the Spectrum Scholarship Program is ALA's national diversity and recruitment effort designed to address the specific issue of under-representation of critically needed ethnic librarians within the profession while serving as a model for ways to bring attention to larger diversity issues in the future.Medical Library Association Scholarship for Minority Students
A scholarship for up to $5,000 will be granted to a minority student who is entering a Masters program at an ALA-accredited library school or has yet to finish at least one half of the program's requirements in the year following the granting of the scholarship. African American, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, or Pacific Islander American individuals who wish to study health sciences librarianship are eligible. The second winner is awarded the MLA Annual Meeting Scholarship for Minority Students for $1,000 and is sponsored by the National Program Committee to help support a minority student who aspires to become a medical librarian to attend the annual meeting.