2021 Scholarship Recipients

Attending the ACRL 2021 virtual conference was extremely valuable for me in that I had the opportunity to substantially expand my breadth of professional knowledge in Libraries and Information. A few of my highlights were the opening keynote featuring Tressie McMillian Cottom, and many more informative presentations such as "From Slavery to College Loans" and "Asking for What You Need: Making Authentic Mentoring Connections." I was most impacted by the stream of content concerned with issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion. As a black librarian and information professional of color, I was pleased to know that I am a part of an industry and professional network that is concerned with meeting the challenges of a diverse and interconnected information world. As a result of attending ACRL, I am more engaged and connected to the possibilities that there are for my professional growth and development.

In the first place, the availability of scholarship enabled me to attend the conference. I wouldn’t have been able to afford paying for the registration fee without the scholarship. I want to thank the ACRL leadership for making the scholarship available. I appreciate the opportunity given to me to participate in the conference. Talking about the experiences gained, attending the conference gave me a unique opportunity to update my skills, knowledge and learnt some current issues and innovations in academic and research libraries. Specifically, I have been exposed to new ways of structuring research titles in academic and research librarianship. I was amazed listening to new areas of research I never thought of in academic and research librarianship fields. This innovation reaffirmed the fact that academic and research librarianship practices are changing. Learning about the ICT tools that could be deployed to provide fantastic and effective service delivery in academic and research libraries was an experience that has raised the need for academic and research libraries to embrace technology fully for the provision of modern library services. Learning about the faculty and students engagements in the areas of teaching information literacy skills and making library resources more open and accessible was equally a great experience. Sharing these experiences with my library and colleagues was enthusiastically received with a determination to restructure practice orientation.

I found attending ACRL 2021 to be an exceptionally valuable experience because it provided me with an unparalleled overview of the direction of the profession as a whole. As someone who is still very new to librarianship, I'm eager to learn as much about the profession as I can in order to identify as many ways to contribute to it as possible, and being able to participate in ACRL 2021 furnished me with an invaluable window into the way the field is moving. Plus, it was fun to hear from so many new people after a year of routine Zoom calls!

Attending the 2021 ACRL Conference was a wonderful experience that not only allowed me to connect with librarians from a variety of backgrounds and locations but also enabled me to delve into the broad array of issues faced by librarians and their respective institutions. Each session I attended was thoroughly inviting and informative, offering interesting perspectives regarding various challenges as well as showcasing creative responses and solutions. I highly enjoyed the interactive nature of the conference as well as the options to attend synchronous and asynchronous sessions, while also networking with colleagues. I would strongly recommend this conference to my fellow librarians at any stage of their career.

Attending the 2021 ACRL Conference as a Scholarship winner was a fantastic opportunity for me. I've been working in libraries for 10 years now, as support staff, support staff don't get many opportunities for professional development in my sector of libraries and now that I'm an MLIS student looking to move up into a librarian role getting to attend conferences has become very important. Without the ACRL scholarship, I would not have been able to attend, and that would have been a loss. As a queer library professional this was the first chance I had ever had to formally connect with other library professionals who have the same marginalized orientation that I do, getting to see not one, but two sessions devoted to asexuality and asexual library professionals was revelatory for me and has helped me in more deeply entrenching myself in this community than I already was. Representation matters. Getting the chance to fully engage in the virtual conference and meet other library professionals who are as fully engaged in and enthusiastic about the future of this profession as I am has given me renewed vigour to push for change and help me see that I can make a difference."

I would like to thank the ACRL 2021 Scholarship Committee for giving me the opportunity to attend the ACRL 2021 Conference. My institution, Yakima Valley College, is geographically isolated from the rest of the community college system in Washington State, so it’s difficult to remain connected with others. I cannot stress enough what the ACRL conference means to my professional development. This is my second time attending an ACRL conference and I ALWAYS come away with innovative practices that help increase my outreach and engagement to students and faculty. With donor contributions, librarians like myself, are given the opportunity to meet new peers, discover best practices and remain connected to the library profession at large. Thank you for believing and investing in me!

Attending ACRL has helped to inform me about similar challenges that I find myself facing at my library along with some methods to try to support students in various ways that are more accessible and inclusive. I particularly enjoyed the segments featuring AR, VR, and diversity challenges in the workplace. The closing Keynote Speaker was wonderful in literally illustrating a more accessible way to present information that will be able to reach a broader audience.

I just recently graduated this May from the University at Buffalo with my Masters of Science in Information and Library Science with a focus on academic librarianship. Up until now, I hadn't attended any conferences that were focused solely on academic and/or research libraries.This scholarship not only allowed me to attend ACRL for the first time, but also gave me a chance to see what the current topics of interest are within the field. I loved getting the chance to learn more about ways that academic and research libraries are innovating in order to provide users with the best service possible. This also provided me with the chance to think on what I want to do in my current and future careers to further innovations and accessibility in the field of information and library science. I am eternally grateful for the opportunity to attend the ACRL 2021 virtual conference and look forward to applying what I have learned in my current and future positions.

As an MLIS student and following my fairly recent graduation, conferences have been difficult to attend do to limited personal and staff funding and travel time. I was so happy to be able to attend the ACRL 2021 virtual conference this year. Despite it being online, I think the board did a great job of still fostering a sense of community and I appreciated the opportunity to explore a range of topics, especially those in equity and diversity. At a time when it is easy to feel exhausted, this conference made me excited to explore new ideas and inspired me to pursue them in my own work this year and beyond.

As someone who recently started a new position in this uncertain time, I really enjoyed this year's ACRL conference, where I learned about innovative ideas and initiatives, connected with like-minded colleagues, and even had the opportunity to co-facilitate an event for a social session. The ACRL conference has been a highlight for me this year, and I look forward to the next conference. .

Attending the 2021 ACRL Conference was exactly what I needed after a year of navigating remote learning and zoom meetings due to COVID. Participating in the conference re-energized me and gave me much to look forward to in the field of librarianship. The wealth of information and networking with colleagues have provided me opportunities to better serve my library and my community. I am sincerely grateful that I was able to attend ACRL with the help of a scholarship. Thank you!

Being an ACRL Scholarship Recipient opened new doors for me as an early-career professional! I was able to connect with past colleagues and interact with others who share similar interests. The conference pushed me to think deeply about my profession and growth while simoultaneously giving me actionable learning to take home to my own library. I know my attendance at the first all-virtual ACRL will impact how I teach, assess, and practice librarianship for years to come.”

Attendance to this seminar opened up my mind to the best library practices of the world. I felt very privileged to be part of this amazing conference. At the same time, this conference made me realize how I lack the skills and competencies in terms of the new trends in librarianship. And so, motivated me to strive harder to be able to at least get some of what these experts have. Keep on learning though it is hard because of the lack of facilities and infrastructure in my workplace. I gained so much from this conference. I will include those learnings in our Operational Plan for the year 2021-2022. In fact, I am drafting a concept paper for new library services at Batangas State University. The challenge really is the support of the University in terms of facilities, infrastructure, collections, and manpower.

This opportunity helped me to know how other Academic Libraries Works, their structures and how lead and motivate their employees, I also had a big opportunity to practice my second language and to knew new colleagues.

Attending the 2021 ACRL Conference “Ascending into An Open Future” presented me with the opportunity to network and learn from academic librarians across the United States. The conference had a direct impact on my own efforts with outreach to K-12 and how to support students learning in the online environment using instructional strategies and library resources. I was able to attend several presentations from April 13-16, 2021 and revisit some of the recorded sessions for the three weeks following the end of the conference. The knowledge and experiences gained from attending this virtual conference will help to shape my professional practice in academic librarianship for many years to come. It also imparted upon me the importance of collaboration among academic librarians when it comes to research, scholarship, and service. Many of the conference sessions that I attended featured librarians that worked at different institutions presenting their research or projects and sharing their unique experiences. Following the presentations, I enjoyed the opportunity to interact with the presenters during the allocated time for questions and answers. It was truly inspiring to see how the presenters addressed issues of Open Access, adapting work due to COVID-19, and diversity among others in academic librarianship today. At the academic library where I work, I am collaborating with my colleagues on projects which are having an impact on our university community and the K-12 community in the northern New Jersey region. I have seen firsthand the power of collaboration and external partnerships in academic libraries. Looking into the future, it is my hope to present and share my research and professional practice at a future ACRL conference. In closing, I would like to thank all of the donors to the ACRL conference scholarship fund that made my attendance to the ACRL 2021 virtual conference possible. Your contribution has enabled an early career academic librarian to grow both personally and professionally. I will carry my experiences and the knowledge I gained from the conference with me throughout the rest of my career in academic librarianship.

Attending 2021 ACRL Conference was my first national library conference. Participating in sessions helped me connect with librarians from all over the country. I was able to bring back ideas to my own institution and share with colleagues. In addition, I was also able to reach out and network with one of the presenters to pick their brain on their initiative to see how we can apply it to our institution. This was an invaluable opportunity. I would not have been able to attend ACRL 2021 with this scholarship.

When I got the news that I was a recipient of the ACRL 2021 Virtual Conference Scholarship, I was thrilled. The world of libraries is vast and vibrant, and to be welcomed in with open arms was truly an honor. Attending the conference has helped me network with other librarians to learn about the critical work being done in different parts of the world. At my own library, the experience has elevated my commitment to libraries and enabled me to be involved in interdepartmental projects I didn’t think possible as a staff member. Attending the conference helped me, a queer person of color, bridge the hierarchal divide and engage the community in ways I hadn’t had the opportunity to before.”

First of all, I would have loved to attend the ACRL Conference in person, but even with the virtual environment the conference was very well organized and structured to align our professional interests to meet, grow, and learn together. It was very welcoming, engaging, and supportive professionally throughout the conference. Many of the topics covered during the sessions were most relevant in research and current work-related issues, such as diversity, equity, and inclusion, and technology. By attending the ACRL I have enriched my understanding of how comprehensive and diverse the field of librarianship and research can be. I wish there were more sessions on metadata and cataloging, but nonetheless, I have learned so much from this scholarship opportunity of attending the ACRL conference. Thank you for an eye-opening experience into the vast comprehensive of ACRL.

Attending ACRL 2021 made a huge difference in my professional life. As a graduating MLIS student, I felt more equipped to discuss current trends in academic librarianship during job interviews because of what I learned at the virtual conference. Attending ACRL 2021 also allowed me to participate in the national academic librarian dialogue for the first time by presenting a poster! I left the conference feeling inspired and excited to return again in 2023. Without the scholarship, none of these experiences would have been possible for me as a graduate student.

I greatly appreciated the scholarship that allowed me to attend ACRL 2021. As much as I missed the in-person aspects of the conference, I actually found it easier to "visit" the posters and see more lightning talks because they were available on demand. One of my primary areas is scholarly communications and there was a nice selection of posters, presentations, and panels on open access. Although it remains disheartening that open access still isn't the default for all publishing, I learned a lot from my colleagues about their outreach successes (and failures).

Attending the 2021 ACRL Conference made a difference in my professional life and at my library because I learned about the innovative work and perspectives of academic librarians aspiring to serve their diverse campus communities. I am deeply committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion and insert universal ideals and ideas in my library projects, but my library can consider other ways to approach and execute DEI initiatives. Seeing the panel discussions, lightning talks, and posters allowed me to not only note what we could scale at my library but also affirm what we are doing well that I could share with fellow librarians. The conference was extremely impactful, and I was grateful for the grant award so I could attend and take away invaluable information to share with my colleagues.