2010 SLA Conference Scholarship

UPDATE: The scholarship has already been awarded for 2010.

The St. Catherine University Special Library Association Student Group is proud to offer scholarship money to assist one SLA member/MLIS student in attending the 2010 SLA Annual Conference in New Orleans, June 13-16, 2010.

The scholarship will reimburse up to $2,000 worth of conference expenses (more than enough to pay for all conference/trip necessities). See details about reimbursable expenses below.

St. Kate's MLIS students are encouraged to apply for this scholarship by submitting an essay of no more than 1,500 words by January 31, 2010.

Essays will be judged based on the following criteria:

1. Evidence of involvement in SLA and the St. Kate's student group.
2. How attending the SLA conference will impact your career and/or education.
3. Demonstration of committment to the field of special librarianship.

To apply:

Please email your essay to stkatesla@gmail.com by January 31, 2010. Any questions can be emailed there as well. Winners will be notified by mid-February.

Upon receipt of the scholarship, applicants must be:

1. a member of SLA and the SCU SLA student group.
2. a current MLIS student at St. Catherine University, or a graduate as of the previous December.
3. attending the conference for the first time.

The winner will be selected by a panel of SLA members, including St. Kate's faculty, students, and alums. The names are removed from the applications during the selection process and the applications are reviewed anonymously.

If you are planning to apply, you may want to consider registering for the conference and booking a hotel now - just make sure you get a spot. You can cancel your conference registration without penalty through February, and most hotels have a similar policy. Conference hotels can fill up fast. (However, you are not required to stay at a conference-affiliated hotel.)

Acceptance of this scholarship denotes agreement to use funds to attend the 2010 Annual Conference. Only those funds accounted for by receipted doucmentation will be available for reimbursement by the SCU SLA student group.

Expenses eligible for reimbursement:

• Transporation (airfare, gas, car rental, bus/public transit fare, taxi)
• Accommodation/housing (only for nights during the conference, including nights that allow you to arrive the day before it begins and leave the day after it ends)
• Meals
• Conference registration fee (including pre- or post-conference events organized by SLA or specifically related to the SLA conference)
• Other as approved by the Student Group Treasurer (possibilities: locker rental at conference related sites, Internet access at hotel - if you think of it in advance, feel free to ask)

Upon return from the conference, the winner will submit a report for publication in the Minnesota Chapter Bulletin.

To join the SCU SLA Student Group, sign up for our listserv.

To join SLA go to: http://www.sla.org/content/membership/joinsla/index.cfm. Be sure to designate Minnesota as your chapter! Student membership is $40.

Thank You!