Proceedings of the First National Joint Conference of Librarians of Color - 267

mentors there, learning about topics ranging from use of WestLaw’s legal research database to familiarity with legal print resources. This same Associate earned her paralegal certificate at a local community college, to complement her interest and experience in law libraries. Another Associate with an interest in public libraries began a once weekly internship at Boston Public Library. One with similar interests began volunteering at Eagle Rock Public Library, a branch of the Los Angeles Public Library. The Library Associate at Robert W. Woodruff Library made a connection with the Tupac Amuru Shakur Foundation for the Arts and helped initiate the Foundation’s plan to open a research center and archives. It has been rewarding to see the Mellon Library Associates explore their interests outside academic libraries and apply skills developed during the internship in a different environment, an approach very important to the work of libraries and other information organizations. Of the five 2005-06 Library Associates, four were undergraduate interns in the program, three are beginning graduate library school in fall 2006, and one other is considering a Distance Education MLS program. This progression demonstrates the interconnectedness of the various program components and their importance in encouraging and preparing students to pursue librarianship as a career. GRADUATE SCHOOL LIBRARY SCHOLARSHIPS The grant has also provided for library school scholarships. For the past three years, there have been four awards of $5,000 each to students entering a master of library and information science degree program. Criteria for selection has included illustration of promise in the library field, acceptance to an American Library Association accredited school of library and information science. Preference is given to applicants from diverse backgrounds and participants in the undergraduate internship program. The same selection committee that awarded the Library Associate positions chose the scholarship recipients, again following a uniform application process. While the quality of the scholarship applicants was outstanding in 2004-2005, the selection committee was disappointed that no minority candidates applied. We expected to have improved minority representation in the scholarship pool in subsequent years, when several participants in the internship program graduate or finish their Library Associate experiences. The selection committee for the scholarships consisted of the library directors and the program’s dedicated consultant, Dr. C. Olivia Frost of the University of Michigan School of Information. The committee followed the selection procedures and criteria used in the first two years of the program. Two of the awardees are from federally defined underrepresented groups, and one is an international student. One of the recipients was a Mellon Library Associate, and all four scholarship winners participated in the undergraduate internship. As further evidence of the caliber of the scholarship winners and the positive influence of the Mellon Librarian Recruitment Program, two of this year’s scholarship recipients also received the prestigious Spectrum Scholarship from the American Library Association, which seeks to “to recruit applicants and award scholarships to American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian, Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino or Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander students”5 through one-year $5,000 scholarships and over $1,500 in professional development support. The Steering Committee is delighted to see the success of Mellon Librarian Recruitment Program interns and feels strongly that the program prepares interns well for other opportunities. The scholarships will be applied to graduate library school tuition and be paid directly to the institution. If a student receives a full tuition award, the scholarship will then be paid as a fellowship, upon confirmation of matriculation. The Project Coordinator is responsible for arranging scholarship payments to each recipient’s school. 267

Proceedings of the First National Joint Conference of Librarians of Color

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