Mariam Jalalifard Selected as 2022 Miriam L. Hornback Scholarship Recipient

The American Library Association (ALA) has selected Mariam Jalalifard of Folsom, California as the 2022 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 was named in memory of Miriam L. Hornback, a longtime ALA staff member, who was secretariat to the ALA Council and Executive Board.

Jalalifard says she entered librarianship because she loves learning from people and helping them uncover answers to questions. Jalalifard believes that “libraries play a vital role in ensuring that everyone in a community feels safe, accepted, and valued, and that they have an equal opportunity to grow and succeed.” Jalalifard also believes that librarians have the potential to make lasting changes in the lives of the people and communities they serve.

Currently, Jalalifard works as a circulation supervisor at the Sacramento Public Library (Calif.). Her hope is to “continue working in libraries to ensure that the services and programming help historically exploited and underserved community members at all stages of the learning journeys by honoring their lived experiences, incorporating their insights, and responding to their concerns.”

Jalalifard attends San Jose State University (California).

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.