Andrew G. Claybrook Selected as 2023 Miriam L. Hornback Scholarship Recipient

The American Library Association (ALA) has selected Andrew G. Claybrook of Advance, North Carolina as the 2023 Miriam L. Hornback Scholarship recipient.

The $3,000 award is given to an ALA or library support staff member to help finance the pursuit of a master’s degree in library and information studies. The scholarship was named in memory of Miriam L. Hornback, a longtime ALA staff member, who was secretariat to the ALA Council and Executive Board.

Claybrook says his understanding of the value of libraries changed when he volunteered at a public library. In his volunteer role, Claybrook assisted older community members with their electronic devices. Claybrook commented that after his first session of helping with technology, his “perspective on what a library is ─what it stands for─ foundationally moved.” He “grasped for the first time how a library is more than just a place from which books circulate.” He “began to “appreciate the crucial way a library serves as a nexus for services that are vital to the community.”

In addition to his volunteer work in a public library, Claybrook also had an opportunity to work with a non-profit social service organization. He noticed that people were embarrassed for needing the services of the organization. He found himself recommending the use of the public library for information and much-needed resources. Claybrook had an epiphany. He commented, “Two areas of social work converged for me. I saw clearly how powerful the library is a space for effective community outreach and service. I realized that I didn’t merely want to have a career in service work, but I wanted to do community work in libraries.”

Currently, Claybrook works as a customer service supervisor at the Davie County Public Library system (Mocksville, N.C.). He says he “wants to be at the forefront of ensuring that people in positions of marginality can keep up and access the information that can be as meaningful and life-changing for them as it was for him.”

Claybrook will attend the Univ. of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

For information on the ALA Scholarship program, visit our scholarship page.

The ALA Office for Human Resource Development and Recruitment (HRDR) manages the ALA Scholarship Clearinghouse.