Apply for an RBMS Conference Scholarship!

There are many joys I experience as a member of the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) and its Rare Books and Manuscripts Section (RBMS), especially as a member of the RBMS Scholarships Committee. Perhaps one of the greatest delights comes from reading narratives contained in each RBMS conference scholarship application. In those brief statements I see glimpses of our profession’s future, of what motivates each professional, paraprofessional, or student as they contemplate their career path, and what interests them about RBMS. I want to read more of those applications, so I invite you, on behalf of the Section, to apply for a scholarship to this year’s conference in Iowa City, Iowa. “The Stories We Tell” is this year’s conference theme, and we want your story to be a part of this important professional gathering.

Full and partial scholarships will be awarded to individuals who:

• are ACRL members,
• have not previously attended an RBMS conference,
• do not have sufficient institutional support to attend such a conference,
• are currently enrolled in a library, information science, or archival studies program; a graduate of such a program; or currently employed as a professional or paraprofessional in a rare books, special collections, or archival position.

Full scholarships for ACRL members include a waiver of the conference fee (up to $290 for professional and paraprofessional staff, or $135 for full-time students) and a travel stipend. Partial scholarships provide for a complimentary conference registration and may or may not include a travel stipend.

The RBMS conference scholarship program is designed to support and subsidize first-time conference attendance for students, paraprofessionals, and professionals who have an interest in the work (and workings) of RBMS. As a profession, and especially within our section of ACRL, we have a strong desire and commitment to attract and retain a diverse professional presence. To that end, we especially encourage members of underrepresented racial and ethnic groups to apply for a RBMS conference scholarship as an introduction to RBMS and an invitation to participate in its work. Scholarship applications from historically black colleges and universities or from tribal colleges and universities are especially welcomed. As a section, we desire to partner with other groups in library and archival fields that focus on building diverse staffs and collections. “The stories we tell” become richer and more robust as new and varied voices join the narrative.

Scholarship Breakfast, RBMS 2016, Biltmore Hotel, Coral Gables, Florida

One of my other joys as a member of the RBMS Scholarships Committee is to welcome scholarship award winners during a special breakfast in their honor during the annual conference. It is a time for introductions, but also a time to begin what might develop into longer term mentorships or a chance to engage with the section. One of our past awardees is now actively involved in the Scholarships Committee. She reflected that “one of the most meaningful aspects of this experience” was one she didn’t expect: the chance to bond with a new cohort of interested (and interesting) people, to make new friends, and together navigate “challenges in the rare books and manuscripts world.” I hope you take the time, to take the chance, to be part of an active and exciting professional organization.

More information about the RBMS Scholarship program may be found at http://conference.rbms.info/2017/scholarships/. Applications are due March 31, 2017. I look forward to reading your application!

-Tim Johnson
Curator of Special Collections & Rare Books and
E.W. McDiarmid Curator of the Sherlock Holmes Collections
University of Minnesota Libraries

Chair, RBMS Scholarships Committee