2009 MLA/NLM Spectrum Scholarship Awards Announced
The National Library of Medicine is pleased to announce that Shalu Gillum of the University of South Florida and Mark Miller of University of Maryland have been chosen to receive American Library Association (ALA) 2009 Spectrum Scholarships from the Medical Library Association /National Library of Medicine (MLA/NLM) fund.*
The Spectrum Scholarship Program provides scholarships to American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian, Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino and Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander students pursuing graduate degrees in library and information studies.
Its mission is to improve service at the local level through the development of a representative workforce that reflects the communities served by all libraries in the new millennium. Since 1997, the ALA has awarded a total of 608 Spectrum Scholarships. Nearly 70 percent of past Spectrum Scholars remain active in the ALA three years after graduation.
Established in 1997, the ALA committed resources for 50 annual scholarships of $5,000 a year for Spectrum's first four years. The Spectrum program continues to fund scholarships through the initial endowment and the generous contributions of individuals and organizations whose donations support named scholarships in the Spectrum Family of Funds. For 2009, scholarships have been awarded in honor of the following individuals: Leo Albert, Louise Giles, William R. Gordon, Howard M. and Gladys B. Teeple and Dr. Betty J. Turock.
*In 2005, the Medical Library Association/National Library of Medicine (MLA/NLM) raised its commitment to provide an additional named annual award and now funds two scholarships a year through 2010. The MLA/NLM Spectrum Scholarships support students of color with an interest in the field of medical or health sciences librarianship.
