Isabella Lynch Selected as the 2026 Peter Lyman Memorial/SAGE Scholarship Recipient

The American Library Association and SAGE are pleased to announce Isabella Lynch of Chapel Hill, North Carolina as the recipient of the 2026 Peter Lyman Memorial/SAGE Scholarship in New Media.

The Peter Lyman Memorial/SAGE Scholarship supports emerging library and information science professionals whose academic work and professional interests demonstrate a commitment to the evolving role of information, technology, and libraries.

Lynch’s academic and professional interests focus on user-centered technology, digital accessibility, artificial intelligence literacy, and the role of libraries in helping patrons navigate an increasingly complex digital information environment.

As part of a Senior Honors Thesis, Lynch researched “The Effects of GenAI on Completing Complex Search Tasks,” examining undergraduate use of generative AI and opportunities to strengthen AI literacy instruction in academic libraries.

Lynch has also developed experience in digital humanities through archival research, data visualization, and manuscript digitization. Current work with the TFED Aelfric Scriptorium Project involves digitizing British Library manuscripts, increasing access to historical materials through digital images and transcriptions.

Additional experience includes serving as a Volunteer Instructor with the Community Workshop Series and working at UNC University Libraries as an Undergraduate Library and Media & Design Center Service Desk Assistant. An Undergraduate Library internship provides further experience analyzing circulation, event, and student and staff feedback data to support library services.

“Technology and its implications for this field is rapidly changing but discovering new solutions and using them to help others learn something new or realize what resources are available to them is invaluable,” Lynch said.

Lynch plans to pursue an MLIS degree and Digital Humanities Graduate Certificate at the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill, with long-term goals of contributing to research, innovation, digital accessibility, and user-centered technology in libraries.

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.