Mia Jakobsen Selected as the 2025 Peter Lyman Memorial/SAGE Scholarship Recipient

The American Library Association and SAGE are pleased to announce Mia Jakobsen of Furry Creek, British Columbia (Canada) as the recipient of the 2025 Peter Lyman Memorial/SAGE Scholarship in New Media.

Jakobsen says she “wants to pursue a career in librarianship because she has a deep-seated passion for preserving and facilitating access to information and direct experience with how making concealed histories and information available can change lives.” Furthermore, her “passion for ensuring inclusive representation in library spaces is rooted in personal experiences and academic explorations of marginalized histories.”

Jakobsen feels that her work experience “has given her insight into the alarming rise of book bans and calls for restricted access and collections in libraries.” She saw how “calls to remove books from library shelves rose sharply in the United States ─a trend which also emerged in Canada.” Jakobsen also believes that “as institutions that preserve and share information, libraries have a responsibility to examine biased and harmful language.” By working towards earning dual degrees in library science and archival studies, Jakobsen aspires to “bridge the gap between historical preservation and modern information management, ensuring the equity, diversity, and accessibility of resources in an increasingly digital world.”

Jakobsen will be attending the University of British Columbia (Canada).

The Peter Lyman Memorial/SAGE Scholarship in New Media was created in memory of Peter Lyman, former university librarian and professor emeritus of the school of information at the University of California, Berkeley. Lyman’s research focused on online information, ethnographic analyses of online social relationships and communities, and bringing university librarians into the digital era. He was one of the first scholars to work with computer companies to design information technology appropriate for research and teaching.

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.