Scholarships for Service to Children, Young Adults and Teens

The following scholarship(s) available through the ALA Scholarship Program are designed to encourage the entry of qualified persons that indicate an interest in working in services to children, young adults, and teens. 

  • ALSC Frederic G. Melcher Scholarship  - provides financial assistance for the professional education of men and women who intend to pursue an MLS degree and who plan to work in children's librarianship. This work may be serving children up to and including the age of 14 in any type of library. Two $8,000 scholarships are awarded annually. The scholarship is made possible by ALSC through generous contributions from librarians, professional associates, friends, and others in the book world, as tribute to Frederic G. Melcher, a great leader in promoting better books for children.
  • ALSC Bound to Stay Bound Books (BTSB) Scholarship - provides financial assistance in the form of four $8,000 annual awards for the education of men and women who intend to pursue an MLS or advanced degree and who plan to work in the area of library service to children. This work may be serving children up to and including the age of 14 in any type library. The Scholarship is made possible by the ALSC through the generous contributions of Bound to Stay Bound Books, Incorporated.
  • Mary V. Gaver Scholarship - this $3,000 scholarship was established to honor the memory of a past ALA president and Rutgers University professor who made many contributions in library youth services.
  • Regina U. Minudri Young Adult Librarian Scholarship -  provides financial assistance and encouragement to developing young adult librarians.The $3000 scholarship is to be given once a year to a Masters degree candidate in Library Science who intends to work professionally with young adults in public libraries.  This scholarship honors the legacy of Regina U. Minudri, a Director of the Berkeley Public Library for 17 years before her retirement in 1994.

All applicants for these scholarships must be a U.S. or Canadian citizen or permanent resident; must attend an ALA accredited master's program; must not have completed more than 12 semester hours towards MLS/MLIS/MIS prior to June 1 of the year awarded; and must submit a complete application.

Factors considered in making these awards include: academic excellence, leadership, and evidence of commitment to a career in librarianship. Achievement in these areas may best be demonstrated by statements indicating the nature of library and other experience, by professional references, and by the personal statement included in the online application.

 

ALA also has general scholarships, scholarships for library support staff, and scholarships for underrepresented groups. All ALA Scholarships can be applied for through the ALA Scholarship Program.

If you have questions or concerns, please contact the ALA Scholarship Clearinghouse at 1-800-545-2433 ext. 4279  or scholarships@ala.org.