ARSL Conference Scholarships

ARSL Scholarship applications are closed for 2025.

About the Scholarships

Each year, the ARSL Grants, Awards & Scholarships (GAS) Committee accepts applications for four competitive scholarships to facilitate attendance at the ARSL Conference. These scholarships are funded through generous donations to the ARSL Scholarship Fund by our members and supporters. A special thank you to our ARSL Angels—members who go above and beyond by contributing $20 or more in addition to their membership to support these scholarships. Your generosity helps library workers from small and rural communities access valuable professional development opportunities.

Donate to the ARSL Scholarship Fund

2025 Scholarship Recipients

• Amber Sweetland (Kimball Public Library): Dr. Bernard Vavrek LIS Scholarship
• Casey Bruck (McCall Library): ARSL Angels Scholarship
• Catherine Macri (Soldiers Memorial Library): Thorndike Press Large Print Scholarship
• Gabriela Silva (Colusa County Free Library): Empowering Library Workers of Color Scholarships
• Seth Wilson Gray (Kenai Community Library): Founders Scholarship for Early-Career Workers

2025 Scholarships

Thorndike Press Champions of Large Print Scholarship
We are excited to announce the inaugural Thorndike Press Champions of Large Print Scholarship! This scholarship will be awarded to a first-time conference attendee who uses large print materials to creatively address their community’s needs. This can be achieved by developing or enhancing literacy programming that supports readers of all ages.

Eligibility Requirements

• Must champion the use of Large Print materials in their work
• Available to both ARSL members and non-members
• Currently employed at a small and/or rural library (part-time or full-time)
• First-time conference attendee (not counting virtual attendance)
• A degree or certification is not required for eligibility

Award:

• A $500 Gift Card to purchase preferred Large Print titles will be provided at the ARSL Conference Awards Ceremony
• Conference Registration (not including registration for Pre-conference Workshops)
• Three (3) Nights Lodging at the conference hotel
• Up to $500 travel reimbursements (e.g., include airfare, mileage, transfer fees, non-conference meals)
• 1 year annual membership with ARSL

• Scholarship recipients are expected to attend the entire conference. Recipients will notify ARSL of any change in status, including the need to cancel conference attendance for any reason. ARSL Staff will confirm conference attendance
• Any receipts for reimbursement are due no later than 30 days after the end of the conference.
• Recipient agrees to release submission information for use in marketing by Thorndike and ARSL.

Founders Conference Scholarship for Early-Career Library Workers
Available to ARSL members. This scholarship provides assistance for library workers with 1-5 years of experience in the field. These early-career library workers often have less access to professional development funding through their institutions, especially when they serve in non-director roles. ARSL is committed to supporting the growth of library workers at all levels, and this scholarship serves to sow the seeds of a strong profession for years to come.

Eligibility Requirements:

• ARSL member in good standing
• Applicant has been working in a library career for 1-5 years
• Currently employed at a small and/or rural library (part-time or full-time)
• First-time conference attendee (not counting virtual attendance)
• A degree or certification is not required for eligibility

Award:

• Complimentary registration
• Three nights stay in a conference hotel
• Up to $500 travel reimbursements

Library workers of color have been, and in many places continue to be, given access to fewer opportunities for professional growth and advancement. Establishing this scholarship is part of ARSL’s ongoing commitment to cultivating an intentionally inclusive professional community that amplifies the voices and lived experiences of library workers of color while also acknowledging the persistent structural inequalities within our profession.

Eligibility Requirements:

• ARSL member in good standing 
• Is a member of one or more marginalized and/or underrepresented ethnic, racial, or cultural identity groups (including but not limited to Black or African American; American Indian, First Nations, or Alaskan Native; Spanish, Hispanic, or Latine/a/o/x; Asian; Native Hawaiian, Samoan, Chamorro, or other Pacific Islander; Middle Eastern or North African)
• Currently employed at a small and/or rural library (part-time or full-time)
• First-time conference attendee (not counting virtual attendance) 
• A degree or certification is not required for eligibility
  

Award:

• Complimentary registration
• Three nights stay in a conference hotel

Available to ARSL members. The ARSL Angels scholarship gives ARSL members and supporters the opportunity to pay it forward and help members of their professional community access quality professional development opportunities that are tailor-made for small and rural libraries. Each year multiple Angels scholarships may be awarded, depending on the availability of funds.

Eligibility Requirements:

• ARSL member in good standing 
• Currently employed at a small and/or rural library (part-time or full-time)
• First-time conference attendee (not counting virtual attendance) 
• A degree or certification is not required for eligibility
  

Award:

• Complimentary registration
• Three nights stay in a conference hotel

Available to both ARSL members and non-members currently enrolled in Library and Information Science (LIS) courses. This conference scholarship is named in honor of the founder of ARSL's precursor organization, the Center for the Study of Rural Librarianship at Clarion University in Pennsylvania. Dr. Vavrek paved the way for the ARSL of today by dedicating his time to cultivating a fuller understanding of the uniqueness of small and rural libraries — a vision that guides our organization to this day.

Eligibility Requirements:

• Current part-time or full-time student taking Library and Information Science classes
• First-time conference attendee (not counting virtual attendance)

Award:

• One year of ARSL membership
• Complimentary registration
• Three nights stay in a conference hotel
• $500 travel reimbursements

Recipient Responsibilities 

• Scholarship recipients are expected to attend the entire conference. This does not include attending preconference workshops, which are not covered by scholarship funding.
  
• Scholarship recipients are required to submit an article/blog post to ARSL about their conference experience for use on the website to advertise future conferences. The blog post, as well as any required receipts for reimbursement, are due within 30 days after conference attendance.  
• Recipients may be asked to serve on the GAS Committee the year following their award.
  

Third Party Funders 

Interested in providing ARSL scholarships? ARSL encourages third-party funders, such as vendors, to provide scholarship opportunities. If a third party chooses to fully cover the cost of a scholarship and asks ARSL to administer the selection, they will be allowed to establish their own award amount and selection criteria. The amount awarded will at minimum be equal to the conference registration cost. ARSL reserves the right to review and approve criteria used to select scholarship recipients. 

If additional third-party scholarships are offered for attendees that are dependent upon attending a particular session, ARSL will require the scholarship recipient to register for and attend the entire conference. Awards offered through a partnership with the ARSL organization or conference may have criteria set by the GAS Committee in conjunction with the funding partner. 

Past Scholarships

Manton Foundation Scholarships for New England Library Workers
This scholarship, established by The Manton Foundation for the 2024 ARSL Conference, provided conference attendance support for library workers from the New England states of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont.

Ken Davenport Conference Scholarship for Mid-Career Library Workers
This scholarship, founded in memory of tireless library advocate Ken Davenport of the North East Iowa Service Area, offered conference attendance support for library workers with 6-10 years of experience in the profession. It was first awarded in 2010 and sunset after the 2022 ARSL Conference.