New York State library school students and recent graduates: Attend your first professional conference—all expenses paid! Applications due March 25.
The SUNY Librarians Association invites you to join us at our annual conference in June and to apply for the Daniel F. Kissane Memorial Scholarship, which covers the cost of travel, lodging, registration fees, and conference meals.
The conference will be held June 11-14, 2024, on the SUNY Buffalo State University campus. The theme of this year’s conference—Libraries Eclipsing Boundaries—will explore innovation in academic libraries and will include programming related to instruction, DEI and accessibility, systems and technology, archives and special collections, OER, and much more.
If you are considering a career in academic librarianship, this is a great opportunity to network with a welcoming group of highly collegial and collaborative SUNY librarians from all over the state, as well as sit in on conference sessions to learn about current issues and innovations in academic libraries.
If you are applying for a scholarship, please DO NOT register for the conference until you receive notification about your application. If you receive the scholarship, you will need to apply a discount code when registering.
Scholarship recipients may choose to stay on campus or in a hotel. (Most conference participants take advantage of on-campus housing.) Travel is covered, up to $350.
You are eligible to apply if:
- You are currently enrolled in a New York State ALA-accredited MLS program or its equivalent, OR you are a New York State resident attending an ALA-accredited library school online or in another state.
- You have graduated from an MLS program within the last 12 months, but are not yet professionally employed in a library.
To apply: Please provide a letter (1–2 pages) that describes how attending this particular SUNYLA conference will increase your understanding of the profession. In your letter, include one paragraph that describes a challenge or opportunity facing academic libraries that you are interested in learning more about.
The letter will be evaluated based on the following criteria:
- Clear presentation of why attending this particular conference will benefit the applicant
- Originality, creativity, and uniqueness of perspective
- Ideas presented are well supported
- Overall letter quality and tone, including appropriate business letter format
Please submit your application letter by March 25, 2024, via this online form: https://form.jotform.com/240304472686154.
Questions? Contact the Committee Chair: Morgan Bond, SUNY Oswego, [email protected].
The SUNYLA Scholarship Committee will review the letters and notify the recipient by April 15, 2024.
To learn more about Daniel Kissane, please visit the SUNYLA website: https://sunyla.org/daniel-f-kissane-memorial-scholarship/.