The Rare Book and Manuscript Section (RBMS) of the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) is offering RBMS Preconference scholarships for first-time attendees! This year's preconference is being held in sunny San Diego from June 19-22, and will "explore a multiplicity of futures for the rare book, manuscript, and special collections community". Numerous seminars, workshops, tours, and discussion sessions will be offered to participants, who will also be treated to a special ABAA Booksellers' Showcase. The deadline to apply for a scholarship is March 30, 2012. Additional details are below!
In partnership with the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL), the Rare Books and Manuscripts Section (RBMS) of ACRL is offering scholarships to subsidize first-time preconference attendance by professional librarians and qualified paraprofessionals and students. RBMS is committed to increasing diversity in its membership and the special collections and archival professions. Accordingly, several preconference scholarships have been designated for applicants of underrepresented ethnic and racial groups. For more information about the RBMS commitment to diversity, please visit the RBMS website. Full and partial scholarships will be awarded. Full scholarships include a waiver of the preconference registration fee (up to $280 for professional and paraprofessional ACRL members, and $125 for full-time student members) plus a travel and accommodation stipend of $700. Partial scholarships provide complimentary registration and may or may not include a stipend.
Eligibility: All candidates must meet one of the following criteria: 1) be currently enrolled in a library, information science, or archival studies program; 2) be a graduate of such a program; or 3) be currently employed as a paraprofessional in a rare books, special collections, or archival capacity. Candidates must also be members of ACRL who have not previously attended an RBMS preconference and who do not have sufficient institutional support to attend. Deadline: All applications must be received by midnight PST on March 30, 2012. To apply: Candidates must complete an online application form. We recommend you view the form, prepare your answers and then return to the form to complete it. Answers for the longer questions may be cut and pasted into the form. Requirements: Scholarship recipients are required to attend the whole preconference and complete the conference evaluation. To help us ensure the ongoing improvement of the scholarship program, all scholarship winners will be required to submit a post-conference evaluation letter by July 29, 2012. Notification: All applicants will be notified on or before April 27, 2012.