Louise Seaman Bechtel Fellowship
The Louise Seaman Bechtel Fellowship provides a grant up to $7,500 to a qualified children’s librarian to spend up to four weeks reading and studying at the Baldwin Library of Historical Children's Literature of the George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida, Gainesville. The Baldwin Library contains a special collection of 130,000 volumes of children’s literature published mostly before 1950. The fellowship is endowed in memory of Louise Seaman Bechtel and Ruth M. Baldwin.
Information about the University of Florida and Gainesville, FL
Recipients of the Bechtel Fellowship are encouraged to learn about the Baldwin Library and the University of Florida before arriving. You can take a virtual tour of campus, or view this map. Recommended accommodations in Gainesville, Florida range from hotels such as Holiday Inn, Hampton Inn, and Hilton, to furnished apartments, Bed & Breakfasts, and even Airbnb.
From the ALSC Blog: What past winners have to say about the Bechtel Fellowship
"It was delightful to have a study carrel and devote time to handling, reading and taking notes on this diverse collection of picture books. It was an energizing break from the fast-paced world of the Children’s Place at my library. And the staff could not have been more accommodating." - Kathy East, 1998 Bechtel Fellow
"Becoming a Bechtel Fellow changed by professional life. My topic was titled 'Searching for She-roes: A Study of Historic Children’s Biographies of Women' . . . I’ve published an article on my topic in Children and Libraries, and used the experience to bolster co-writing and publishing a book through Libraries Unlimited. . . No matter what subject you’d like to pursue, they will have the collection to match it. It will be an experience you will always treasure." - Christina Dorr, 2010 Fellow
"In short, the Bechtel fellowship was a complete professional game changer! I went to the Baldwin collection looking to explore the evolution of board books and ended up entering the world of historic children’s literature research." - Allison Kaplan, 2011 Bechtel Fellow
Applications for the 2025 Bechtel Fellowship are due October 15, 2024.
Committee resources
Bechtel Fellowship manual (Word) currently being updated
Bechtel Fellowship manual (PDF) currently being updated