Sara R. Kennedy Selected as 2020 Miriam L. Hornback Scholarship Recipient

The American Library Association (ALA) has selected Sara R. Kennedy of Addison, Illinois as the 2020 Miriam L. Hornback Scholarship recipient.

The 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.

Currently, Kennedy works as the Deputy Director at the Green Hills Public Library District in Palos Hills, Illinois. She commented that in her “15+ years of working in libraries, she has done a variety of jobs within the library, including shelving books, checking out materials, designing a newsletter, running a teen program, selecting and cataloging new materials, pioneering an emergency response plan, building a budget, and a host of other things.” She places a high value on the library and information profession and hopes to learn principles that will support her ideas and initiatives for effective library management.

Kennedy believes that “libraries are and will remain in a constant state of change.” Her desire is to continue being part of this change. She commented that “libraries have the ability to improve lives in a dynamically changing world.” She contends that “libraries are making a difference in our society.”

Kennedy’s work has had an impact on her colleagues and the community she serves. One reference commented that Kennedy is “a self-motivated, hard-working individual with an aptitude and understanding of the library profession.” Another reference stated that Kennedy’s “ability to consistently provide exceptional service to library patrons and colleagues alike is truly admirable. She is an exemplary individual with significant leadership skills.”

Kennedy plans to attend Chicago State University (Illinois).

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.

Related Links

ALA scholarship page

ALA Office for Human Resource Development and Recruitment (HRDR)