Anna Rae Leuning Selected as the 2023 David H. Clift Scholarship Recipient

The American Library Association (ALA) is pleased to announce the selection of Anna Rae Leuning of New York, as the 2023 David H. Clift Scholarship recipient.

The David H. Clift Scholarship was named for a former director of the American Library Association. The $3,000 scholarship is awarded to a person pursuing a master's degree in library and information studies.

Leuning says she has been interested in library work since childhood. However, before committing to the library profession, she wanted to “experience libraries as a worker, not only as a patron filled with vocational awe.” To attain this goal, Leuning worked at an academic library for five years as a library technician.

Leuning’s long-term interests include “cultivating free and critical services to all.” She commented that she “wants to be a librarian who fiercely protects the rights of humans to learn, explore, and find joy in a safe space for free.” Her hope is to “create and invest in programs that meet patrons anywhere, not only within library walls.” As she continues her journey on the library road, Leuning says she “looks forward to discovering all that the information field has to offer as well as what she can offer in return.”

Leuning attends the Pratt Institute School of Information (Brooklyn, New York).

For information on the ALA Scholarship program, visit the scholarship page.

The ALA Office for Human Resource Development and Recruitment (HRDR) manages the ALA Scholarship Clearinghouse.