PLA provides funding for “Grow Your Own @ Your Library®” institutional scholarships for public libraries, 2005-08

Barbara A. Macikas


Deputy Director, PLA


312-280-5025

For Immediate Release


July 19, 2005

PLA provides funding for “Grow Your Own @ Your Library
^®” institutional scholarships for public libraries, 2005-08

CHICAGO - The Public Library Association (PLA), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), will award five public libraries with grants of $8,000 each to be distributed to staff for work toward obtaining a master's degree in library and information studies. The application deadline for this pilot program is December 1, 2005.

The scholarship terms require that $6,500 be used directly for payment of tuition at the undergraduate level, or at an ALA-accredited library school graduate level, for as many staff as the recipient library chooses, and $1,500 is to be used to support attendance for one or more of the selected scholarship recipients to attend PLA-sponsored continuing education.

“PLA recognizes that the institution is strategically positioned to best identify those employees with a commitment to librarianship, public libraries and the community,” said Clara Bohrer, PLA past-president and chair of the PLA Institutional Scholarship Task Force. “And, we know there is tremendous need for staff with the MLS. We are very pleased to provide libraries with resources to help them increase the number of public librarians by growing their own.”

Scholarships will be made on a competitive basis. Applications will be reviewed by the PLA Institutional Scholarship Jury. Applicants will be notified of their status by February 1, 2006. Bachelor or master level courses taken between February 2006 and March 2008 are eligible for tuition reimbursement under this program. For criteria and application information, please visit PLA's website at:
http://www.pla.org/ala/pla/scholarshipapp.pdf.