Skip to Main Content
Library Homepage

Library Careers

ALA Spectrum Scholarship Program

(From the American Library Association website)

Description of Scholarship Award

Spectrum provides a one-time, non-renewable $5,000 scholarship award paid in two installments directly to the recipient.  Recipients must begin a program by the fall semester following the award, funds will be forfeited if enrollment is delayed.  Recipients must be enrolled at the time of the second installment, or they will forfeit this portion of the award.  Recipients are announced at the ALA Annual Conference, the award is broken into two $2,500 installments that are awarded in September and January. 

Additional Benefits

Spectrum Scholars receive a number of benefits in addition to their scholarship funds, these include:

  • Complementary one-yr. student membership to ALA (includes one-yr. subscription to American Libraries).
  • Free student admission to ALA Annual conference during the scholarship year.
  • Free attendance to the Spectrum Leadership Institute: a 3 day institute that highlights cross cultural models of leadership and features national library and community leaders.
  • Complementary memberships to participating ALA divisions during the scholarship year.
  • Formal and informal mentoring opportunities. 
  • Matching scholarships from library schools and other regional library associations. 
  • Access to colleagues via an electronic discussion list and online community in ALA Connect.
  • Posted information on job/internship/residency opportunities all over the country and in different types of libraries.
  • Networking with other Spectrum Scholars and library leaders.
  • Participation in a national library diversity initiative and the recognition merited by this distinction.
  • Invitations to present at forums, conferences, and institutes.
  • Opportunities to apply for travel grants to regional institutes and conferences.

Applications due March 1 annually.