For immediate release | September 14, 2026
Sage Hickok Selected as the 2026 Miriam L. Hornback Scholarship Recipient
2026 Miriam L. Hornback Scholarship Recipient - Sage Hickok
The American Library Association (ALA) is pleased to announce the selection of Sage Hickok of Atlanta, Georgia as the 2026 Miriam L. Hornback Scholarship recipient.
The $3,000 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 is named in memory of Miriam L. Hornback, a longtime ALA staff member, who was secretariat to the ALA Council and Executive Board.
As part of the stacks team at Emory University’s Woodruff Library, Hickok’s work with missing-item searches sparked an interest in inequities within Library of Congress Classification. Research into the HQ subclass and the absence of an HR subclass highlighted challenges in the organization and discoverability of gender and sexuality materials.
That research led to “A Shelf of One’s Own,” a lightning talk presented at ACRL 2025 proposing changes to classification that could increase the visibility of gender and sexuality subjects. Hickok has also cross-trained with the library’s cataloging department and contributed to implementation of the LGBT-focused Homosaurus subject vocabulary in bibliographic records.
Hickok’s long-term goal is a full-time cataloging position focused on metadata justice, with broader interests in racial and disability justice and more inclusive approaches to knowledge organization.
“I deeply believe in the egalitarian mission of libraries,” Hickok said. “That belief motivates me to question oppressive structures within libraries that are all too often treated as immutable.”
With four years of library experience and ongoing MLIS studies, Hickok brings a values-driven approach centered on research, communication, collaboration, ethics, and equitable access to information.
Hickok will attend Valdosta State University (Georgia).
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.
Contact:
Kimberly L. Redd, MSHTM
Program Manager, Certification & Talent Development
Office for Human Resource Development and Recruitment (HRDR)
KLredd@ala.org312.280.4279
