The Louise Seaman Bechtel Fellowship, administered by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), provides a $4,000 grant to a qualified children's librarian to spend a month or more reading and studying at the Baldwin Library of the George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida, Gainesville.

The Louise Seaman Bechtel Fellowship

The Louise Seaman Bechtel Fellowship provides a $4,000 grant to a qualified children’s librarian to spend a month or more reading and studying at the Baldwin Library of the George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida, Gainesville.  The Baldwin Library contains a special collection of 85,000 volumes of children’s literature published mostly before 1950.  The fellowship is endowed in memory of Louise Seaman Bechtel and Ruth M. Baldwin.

Current Bechtel Winner
Past Bechtel Winners

Criteria

• Each application will be judged on the following:
  • The description of the topic of study for the fellowship period
  • The applicants demonstration of ongoing commitment to motivating children to read

Requirements

• Applicants must:
  • Be personal members of ALSC as well as ALA; organizational members are not eligible
  • Currently be working in direct service to children, or retired members who complete their careers in direct service to children, for a minimum of eight years
  • Have a graduate degree from an ALA-accredited program
  • Be willing to write a report about his/her study; the report will be submitted to the ALSC Office, for distribution to the Bechtel Committee and for possible inclusion in Children and Libraries, and to the Director of the Smathers Libraries and the Director of the Center for the Study of Children’s Literature and Media at the University of Florida
  • If selected, retired Fellowship winners would agree to present a minimum of three public programs based on their research project to children in libraries or schools following the completion of their Fellowship period

Announcement of Winners

Winners will be announced via a press release on the ALSC Web site shortly after ALA Midwinter Meeting in early January.

How to Apply

The Bechtel Fellowship application is now available.  The application is a form .pdf that can be completed, saved, and submitted electronically with supporting documents.  All applications are due to the Special Collection and Bechtel Fellowship co-chair Nancy Johnson by December 1, 2009, as stated in the application.  Please e-mail Nancy at nancy.johnson@wwu.edu with applications and questions. 

Committee Resources

Bechtel Fellowship manual (Word)
Bechtel Fellowship manual (PDF)