2019 Conference Scholarship Recipients

Attending ACRL allowed me to meet new people, create new connections, and reinforce connections with colleagues from all around the country. The long-time members of ACRL spoke fondly of the community they found in the organization throughout their careers. The presentations provided context for what I was learning in my MLIS program and experienced working in an academic library. As an early career information professional, I can’t thank ACRL enough for the opportunity to attend their conference.

Attending the 2019 ACRL Conference afforded me the unique opportunity to connect with community college and other academic librarians from across the country and to learn about the great work they are all doing. I returned to my library at East Los Angeles College with a myriad of new ideas, projects, and opportunities that will help us to strengthen and grow our outreach and instruction services moving forward.

Attending ACRL 2019 was my first time to attend a national library conference. Attending sessions and learning what library professionals were doing at their institutions was very inspiring. I was able to bring back ideas to my institution and brainstorm with my colleagues different ways to reach students and faculty and implement programs. I also value the networking opportunities that ACRL allowed me. I would not have been able to attend ACRL 2019 without this scholarship..Scholarship Recipients

Attending the ACRL 2019 Conference gave me a unique opportunity to learn about the work my colleagues in Academic Libraries are doing. As a relatively new academic librarian at a small, rural university, the opportunity to learn about projects from all over the country was invaluable. I was fortunate to be able to attend a number of sessions focused on library instruction and to have the opportunity to share the best practices and new ideas I learned with my library.

Since the conference, I have become more aware of communication from ACRL, particularly emails, and follow more of the threads created by users online, so I feel I have a better connection to the organization and stay informed of major issues in this area of librarianship. Although, I currently work in a public library system, some of the issues are similar to ours, so it does help me think outside the box a little bit in those cases. It also helps keep me prepared should an opportunity arise in an academic library closer to me, that I would feel comfortable switching from the public library environment back to academic (I worked part-time in a small academic library, while pursuing my degree). Lastly, I'm grateful that I got to attend the conference in order to make in person connections. I got the chance to meet a fellow Clarion student who was there and we still stay in touch through social media. Also, one of the girls that participated in the ACRL feedback panel (it was called something else, but I can't remember) with me, I have stayed in touch with and we both actually interviewed for the same position during the summer. She got the position, but I've been able to learn more about it and cheer her on in her new role, because of getting to meet her at ACRL.

The ACRL conference gave me the opportunity to connect with other academic librarians across the country. The sessions were very relevant to the work that I do on a daily basis. I learned about the ACRL committees and how to become involved on the national level and received tips on publishing scholarly work.

Attending ACRL was such a rewarding experience! I was able to delve into many research communities of practice within the organization and reflect on how I can become an effective advocate within the profession. ACRL provided me with the opportunity to further cultivate and sustain connections with other librarians and develop my skillset to better serve the diverse needs of my research community.

I think the ACRL Conference Scholarship program is much more than just a financial support mechanism that helps to sustain and retain people of diverse cultural/ethnic backgrounds and under-represented groups into the library profession. I think of it as a life-giving river that feeds the library ecosystem. The Scholarship program has presented me with numerous opportunities to develop professional relationships, networks, and support systems that still exist today.

Receiving a scholarship to attend ACRL made a huge difference for me as an early career librarian. Because I was able to attend the conference, I had the chance to network, learn new things, and even present some research with my colleagues. I'm very grateful!

As a scholarship recipient for ACRL 2019 I was able to learn about my future job from those who already had it, meet librarians from all around the world and hear about their experiences, and be inspired by the amazing speakers. Oh, and I got a free and wonderful headshot!

I was very grateful for the opportunity to attend the ACRL conference for the first time. As a Special Collections librarian, I enjoyed learning from my academic peers in other disciplines and exploring ways to collaborate on programs and initiatives to benefit all library users. I also appreciated the sessions about leadership and career development. Plus, ACRL 2019 might have been the best organized conference I’ve ever attended!

Attending the 2019 ACRL conference allowed me to gain new perspectives on academic librarianship, and it was great to learn current trends from various sessions. The conference also gave me a chance to participate in events like receptions and workshops where I met librarians who are experts in their field. Without the scholarship, I would not have been able to have this amazing opportunity as a student, and I really appreciate that I had the chance to attend the 2019 ACRL conference.

When I applied for the mid-career scholarship, I was an Assistant Library Director at a small college in Michigan (I have since moved on to a new university). I had always dreamed of attending an ACRL conference, but my institution did not offer enough professional development funding for me to attend. I was so grateful and excited to discover that I had won a mid-career scholarship this past year and after 7 years in the profession, I would finally be attending my first ACRL conference. It was such a wonderful opportunity for me to network with other librarians throughout the country and gain insight into trends and research at other institutions. I learned so much and was able to come back from the conference and share that knowledge with others. I also had the opportunity to connect with one of my previous student workers, who had gone on to library school and was attending on a student scholarship. Seeing her at the conference allowed us to get back in contact and I'm now mentoring her through her first experience applying for professional positions. I'm so grateful to have been chosen for one of these scholarships and I cannot thank the donors enough for allowing me to attend--it truly would not have been possible without them!

The ACRL 2019 Mid-Career Scholarship was crucial for my attendance to the ACRL Conference in Cleveland. Because I attended, I was able to present as part of a panel, connect with other folks who work specifically with graduate students, and reconnect with colleagues. I was able to bring what I learned back to my library and make a difference. Being supported financially was extremely helpful, both professionally and personally.

I attended my first ACRL conference thanks to the ACRL scholarship which was made possible by many generous and compassionate donors. During the conference, I was able to make constructive and inspiring discourses with other colleagues about sustainable explorations of digital humanities in area studies, key issues in management and leadership, and the role of today’s academic library in light of emerging technological growth. At ACRL 2019, I truly enjoyed interacting with librarians from different academic institutions by exchanging ideas, sharing experiences/lessons-learned, and envisioning new possibilities for library services together. Attending ACRL 2019 was an unforgettable experience and helped me build valuable professional connections, which has always been my professional focus..

Thanks to ACRL Early-Career Librarian Scholarships, I was able to attend the 2019 ACRL Conference for the the first time. Now, the ACRL conference is one of my favorite conferences. It was full of insightful keynote speeches, useful pre-conference sessions, and helpful presentation sessions. I was thoroughly touched by all the aspects of carefully-designed conference. I'm already looking forward to next ACRL conference. Thank you for your supports!!!

“It will give me the financial means to further my professional development and networking at the ACRL 2019 Conference” was the basic thesis of my scholarship application. But attending the ACRL 2019 Conference became so much more than that.Attending the ACRL 2019 Conference allowed me to step out of the library world that I live in for a few days. I gained fresh perspectives, new ideas, challenge a few beliefs and practices I had, and reinforce notions I was thinking of, but unsure if anyone else felt the same way. One may argue that one can gain all of those things from other forms of professional development and nation-wide committee work. However, when you are in that ACRL Conference space, living and breathing it, networking with passionate, like-minded professionals from all corners of this country, and the world, it has a much more powerful impact.

I was an ACRL 2019 Library School Student Scholarship Recipient and was truly grateful for the opportunity to attend the ACRL 2019 Conference in Cleveland, OH last Spring. Attending the conference was a valuable experience and great finale to my master’s program in Library and Information Science, as well as my graduate assistantship that I held for two years at the University Library while I pursued my degree. I expanded and enriched my knowledge by attending a diverse spectrum of panels and poster sessions as well as hands-on workshops. I was inspired by keynote speakers, and used the opportunity to build a network of colleagues. During the presentation of a paper I coauthored with my graduate assistantship supervisor I got to hear immediate feedback about my research from other conference attendees. After graduation, I had an on-site job interview and I learned that some of my interviewers attended the presentation of my coauthored paper and were interested in my research. That made me realize how instrumental the conference was in terms of connecting with other professionals in the field who have similar research interests.

I work at a small, rural community college in Western Massachusetts. My college doesn’t have a lot of professional development funds, so this scholarship really enabled me to go. I was the only member of our staff who was able to attend ACRL, and I brought back ideas and resources for my colleagues. For example, at our staff retreat before the start of the semester, we watched the slidecast of Fobazi Ettarh’s presentation and then discussed vocational awe and how to dismantle it. I’ve also shred instruction ideas with my fellow reference and instruction librarians. The conference was also so helpful in connecting with people and building a network of colleagues, both through great conversations and in response to the presentation that I gave. I will be forever grateful to ACRL and the donors who funded my scholarship.

The experience of going to ACRL was invigorating. It enabled me to sample new technology and insights, as well as providing an opportunity to hear some excellent presentations. ACRL makes the field of information science seem worthwhile and exciting. Conferences like these keep me refreshed and determined to keep up to date on Library issues and trends. The interaction with other professionals that are the leaders in libraries inspires me to improve my current skills and expand into related areas. It provides a push in the right direction.

While I have been an academic librarian for 10 years, tight budgets have meant that I was never able to consider attending the ACRL Conference. I have attended local and broader conferences before, but those were not as targeted to my interests. With the help of the Mid-Career Scholarship, I was able to attend the 2019 ACRL Conference in Cleveland. Being able to network with other academic librarians, see what they are doing in their libraries, and glean ideas and applications for my own library was invaluable.nWithout the financial support provided by this scholarship, I would never have been able to learn about the wide variety of innovative practices and ideas at academic libraries across the country. Thank you so much for allowing me to attend this conference.

Attending ACRL 2019 helped me make the vital connections and gain practical knowledge on current trends in academic librarianship. Transitioning to an academic library environment requires the specialized knowledge and connections that ACRL 2019 provided, and I was able to learn about services and opportunities that directly impact how I will grow as a librarian. Because of this opportunity, I look forward to more years of engagement and service with the ACRL community.

I don’t often get to travel to national conferences if I’m not presenting. With the help of the ACRL Mid-Career Librarian Scholarship, I was able to attend ACRL 2019 in Cleveland without the added pressure of a presentation. The impact of ACRL 2019 has been huge! I had hopes that by attending the conference I could better position myself for career advancement and I believe I succeeded in doing so by stopping by the resume review resource and by attending several leadership focused sessions. I was able to beef up my resume upon my return from the conference and I feel good about “selling myself” to future employers, which is one of the many “tidbits” I picked up from the sessions I checked out.

The opportunity to attend ACRL 2019 helped me in my professional growth by allowing me to learn more about the profession, what conversations are happening in the library environment, and what we need to focus on in our own library, and also bring to other conferences to continue the conversations. I also attended ACRL to learn about what ACRL really provides and the benefits for librarians through experiencing the conference atmosphere and sessions. I also found that through assisting students like myself at the time of the conference and early career librarians with a low professional development budget to attend the conference, ACRL really helped provide support and feel part of the profession. I also attended ACRL because I was presenting a poster with a colleague of mine and this was the first time that I was presenting a poster so it was a learning experience that I wanted for myself to grow and be ready to present a poster on my own in other conferences.

The scholarship to attend ACRL in 2019 was an extraordinary opportunity. By receiving the scholarship I was able to network with other library workers and able to share some of the exciting projects I am working on in my library, but also to have impromptu workshop opportunities to help me rethink and engage my work with a different lens; especially through the 2019 theme of "Recasting the Narrative". It was through attending ACRL that I was also able to learn more about pathways for leadership within my organization and the field and learn that there is not one pathway or method of leadership. I have been able to successfully take back these new perspectives to my work and have begun to apply them to our libraries undergraduate engagement efforts.

New instruction ideas. Conversations with poster presenters. Leading a roundtable discussion. Thought-provoking presentations. Receiving a scholarship to attend the ACRL 2019 conference in Cleveland allowed me to experience these highlights and re-energize my day-to-day work. While attending conferences, I am always in a mindset that is wondering how the ideas, concepts, or products to which I’m being exposed will help me further the learning of students when I’m back on campus; bringing ideas back to my colleagues is one thing I always look forward to. At this conference, I loved seeing presenters who had asked students: “Did you experience any barriers to learning (in this class or session)?” This began my thinking about how to bring accessibility to the forefront of my teaching and sparked ideas in my colleagues as well. With limited professional development funds, without this scholarship I would not have been able to attend ACRL 2019 and benefit from the variety of learning opportunities. Thank you!

I was so thrilled and honored to receive the Early Career Librarian scholarship and attend ACRL for the first time. I work in a small, rural, university library so being able to connect with colleagues from around the country was invaluable. I returned home energized with fresh ideas to do my best for the students I serve.

As a solo librarian, I depend on conferences for professional interaction. Usually, I attend local meetings, webinars, or state-level conferences for professional interactions and attending a national conference seemed out of reach until I applied for and received a scholarship to attend. The ACRL 2019 Conference Scholarship helped me realized my hopes of attending a national conference after over 10 years in the field. I did not waste a second of time while at the 2019 ACRL conference, I attended as many sessions and networking events as possible. I was even able to meet up with past colleagues. One of these former colleagues and I plan to submit a proposal for the 2021 conference, something unimaginable before attending this conference. I have been able to integrate many of the things I learned in the various sessions, for example, I have started using Project Outcome for assessment and I champion equity, diversity, and inclusion on my campus even more than before attending the conference. This experience really opened my eyes to so many aspects of librarianship and I cannot wait to attend another ACRL Conference in the future.

Attending ACRL 2019 has helped me advance my career in numerous ways, not only while in Cleveland, but also once I returned home. At the conference I was able to network with academic librarians from all over the country, learning from them about the kinds of work they did and their university libraries. The wonderful ACRL mentor assigned to me introduced me to her colleagues, gave me excellent feedback on my job search, and has continued to provide guidance beyond the bounds of the program. As a student in an online ILS program, my time at ACRL 2019 meeting and connecting with academic librarians in person was extremely valuable and continues to provide meaningful experiences.

Going to ACRL 2019 allowed me to go to panels containing helpful tips from my fellow librarians on topics ranging from how to assess furniture needs in the library to ways to include critical thinking on how economics influences information access in library one-shots. It gave me the opportunity to support one of my colleagues who was presenting a poster. Additionally, the face-to-face opportunity that a colleague and I had to speak with a vendor let us know of a crucial feature in their product that we had been ignoring which proved fruitful in working with undergraduates this fall. ACRL 2019 also let me see that there are different discussion groups and interest sections available for a wide breadth of the profession, and made me explore a bit more what kind of resources they could be.

As an early-career librarian and first-time attendee, going to the 2019 ACRL Conference was an extraordinary opportunity. I met many librarians who were either much more advanced in their career or scholarship or librarians who were at the same stage as me. I went to intriguing presentations and presented my own project in collaboration with other early-career librarians. Connecting with so many brilliant and creative people in Cleveland and getting to hear their insights and stories has been a milestone in my first year of librarianship. I am incredibly grateful to have had the support to attend and can only hope that future early-career librarians also receive the support to bolster their professional lives at the 2021 ACRL Conference in Seattle.

I think, for me, the benefit of attending ACRL was in having a concrete experience to help me distinguish between the type of activity that happens at ACRL vs ALA. ACRL was my first large professional conference as a librarian, and it helped to have direct access to others more involved with ACRL to help me in understanding why certain things (like the RainbowRT or SRRT) were not very well represented at ACRL.

The ACRL 2019 Conference Scholarship was a blessing as there is not much support for a mid-career librarian at my university. This scholarship allowed me to attend ACRL 2019. Thank you for providing this opportunity and for supporting librarians; without this funding, I would not have been able to network, update my skills and knowledge, and to present at ACRL.

Being able to attend ACRL 2019 on the Mid-Career scholarship gave me an opportunity to connect in-person with a wide network of library professionals whom I have met in online learning communities and through social media. While I value all those online interactions, finally getting to meet these individuals in-person meant the world to me and also helped me to think bigger and more boldly. Attending panels, talking to colleagues between panels, and presenting at my two panels provided me with unprecedented learning opportunities that could not be duplicated in any other setting and inspired me to try out many new ideas. In fact, I am currently working on a plan to have a professional development opportunity led by an ACRL panel speaker whose ideas and passion emboldened me to ask why my library couldn't try out what she and her colleagues were proposing about applying the cultural-relational lens to librarianship. I came to appreciate being awarded the scholarship as a "vote of confidence" in me that motivated me to make the most of every interaction and learning opportunity. In short, my experiences at ACRL 2019 really helped to transform my sense of myself as a librarian and to transition into this middle career stage with a renewed sense of purpose and ambition.

The ACRL Mid-Career Scholarship made it possible to attend this immersive and impactful conference. My knowledge of our profession grew exponentially through expert presentations and engaging conversations. I was also able to visit with friends from across the country and make new connections. Perhaps the most rewarding benefit, however, was on-point advice and encouragement received during the career counseling and resume review sessions. Because of these sessions, I reworked my resume and decided to actively pursue a career change, something I had previously been afraid to do and had talked myself out of. A few months later I applied for, and was offered, a director's position. Today was my 6th day in my new job! Without this financial gift, I would not have been able to participate, but because of this financial gift, my life has changed. Thank you to all who donate to this campaign. You are not only supporting the profession, you are providing empowerment and fulfilling dreams.

Attending the 2019 ACRL conference made a significant difference in my professional life and allowed me to bring important information and practices back to my library. As a librarian new to the academic library world, it was incredibility helpful to spend time in a conference for academic and research librarians. I was able to see how other librarians where doing research and gain useful ideas to improve my practice as an academic librarian. I was especially excited to attend sessions about hiring librarians of color into sciences positions, and had the opportunity to meet and speak with members of the panel during the conference. This was incredibly helpful as I returning to the position of chair of a sciences librarian search committee and wanted to have as much information and as many tools as possible to hire more diverse librarians. I also go to meet up with my Spectrum Mentor, which was a real treat, as I greatly value being able to interact with people in person and I never would have been able to meet her otherwise. I greatly appreciate the opportunity to attend ACRL and I am excited to apply the information I gathered while there.

The ACRL Early-Career Scholarship enabled me to attend my first ACRL Conference in 2019. As a community college librarian, I don’t often have the time to conduct professional research and test out new programs, so I was delighted to gain so much knowledge and inspiration from my fellow academic librarians; much of which I was able to easily translate into my every day work. The conference also provided me a unique opportunity to meet with other academic librarians from around the country. I am continually grateful to the generous ACRL Scholarship donors because without their contributions, attending such an essential conference would have been nearly impossible. Thank you!

This was the first ACRL in which I was presenting on a panel, and it was an honor to be selected. The scholarship made a world of difference in helping me have less stress around the costs of attending conference while still being active in my scholarship. I was able to arrive earlier and prepare with my co-panelists and it went great! These scholarships are crucial to connecting academic librarians with other librarians across institutions and build connections that help in your current as well as your next job. I will always be grateful to the donors that make this possible!

ACRL is always at the top of my conference wish-list. Each time I'm able to attend, I'm astonished anew by the quality and relevance of the program, the overall fun of the theme and events, and the amazing colleagues I meet. Being able to attend ACRL 2019 as an Early-Career Scholarship recipient, just as I'm beginning to think about the next phase of my career, was priceless. I was able to fully immerse myself in the daunting (but rewarding!) experience of presenting my first contributed paper and to give my attention to a range of thought-provoking aspects of professional practice -- all to a rockin' soundtrack (thanks, Cleveland!).

I attended the ACRL (Association of College and Research Libraries) 2019 Conference in Cleveland, Ohio. The conference was held from April 10th to April 13th. Thankfully, I received ACRL’s early career scholarship and the Central New York Library Resource Council (CLRC) professional development grant so that I could attend the conference. These awards allowed for my attendance at my group’s roundtable discussion, “Recasting the Narrative on Library Residency Programs: Embracing Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility in Supporting Librarians of Color”. My group was able to create a conversation about diversity residencies and diversity fellowships so that librarians like myself have the proper support in place before, during and after our time at academic institutions. Since my position is unique having the necessary navigation skills is important to my success in this profession. This is one of the reasons why attending this conference is vital to my librarian trajectory. Furthermore, I am apart of the RIG’s(Residency Interest Group) program and proposal team so meeting up with current residents and fellows happened due to my attendance at the conference. I wanted to continue recasting the narrative about diversity residencies and diversity fellowships. Lastly, as a health sciences librarian, professional development is meaningful to myself and to others that I assist on a daily basis.

I don’t want to be cliche and say that attending ACRL was life-changing, but it was. I was able to meet people and see resources that helped me better assist the students and faculty that I work with. But more than that, attending ACRL allowed me to minimize the imposter syndrome that i was feeling. I realized that as a relatively new academic librarian, I am on the right track with my abilities and offerings. The conference helped increase my confidence and for that I am eternally grateful. I can’t wait for 2021!!