New Diversity Fellowship Opportunity

New Diversity Fellowship Opportunity

The State Library of Indiana has received a $1 million grant from the Institute for Museum and Library Services for recruiting and educating 30 ethnically/racially diverse students for the Indiana Librarians Leading in Diversity project. The application process will go live next Monday, August 4, by noon. Potential candidates must apply to the Indiana University School of Library and Information Science (IU SLIS Application – Indianapolis / Bloomington) by September 15, 2008. The application process is open until 4:00 p.m. on Monday, October 3, 2008.

Ten candidates a year for three years are eligible to be selected for this Master of Library Science Degree Fellowship program. Applicants must have a primary self-identification as American Indian/Alaska Native; Asian; Black/African-American; Hispanic/Latino; or Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander. In addition to applying to the library school, candidates will be required to complete a fellowship application which includes an essay and two letters of recommendation from non-relatives.

Successful candidates will be required to sign a fellowship agreement, attend an orientation week in Indianapolis in early December, and begin classes full time with the spring semester on January 12, 2009. Candidates also must commit to work two years in Indiana libraries upon graduation.

The fellowship award will cover tuition for up to 36 credit hours completed within 18 months. Stipends up to $15,500.00 will be available to cover room, board, and travel expenses.

This grant opportunity was given as part of the Laura Bush 21^st Century Librarian Program. Additionally, the project is supported by the Indiana State Library's Diversity Advisory Council, Academic Libraries of Indiana, Administrators of Large Public Libraries in Indiana, the Indiana Black Librarians Network, the Indiana Library Federation, and the Indiana Special Libraries Association. For more information, contact Marcia Smith-Woodard at mwoodard@library.in.gov, (317) 232-3719 or (800) 451-6028.