Scholarships, Chinese American Librarians Association (CALA)
Posted February 19, 2025
Description
The Chinese American Librarians Association (CALA) offers multiple scholarships each year to its student members to support their professional and leadership development in librarianship. With the recent renewal of the agreement between SAGE and the Joint Council of Librarians of Color (JCLC), SAGE will provide each member association of the National Associations of Librarians of Color (NALCos) with $2,000 in scholarships. As a member of NALCos, CALA will award two JCLC/SAGE Scholarships, each valued at $1,000. This addition expands the scholarship opportunities available through CALA this year.
2025 CALA Scholarship Opportunities:
- CALA Scholarship of Library and Information Science – $1,000 (one recipient)
- Sheila Suen Lai Scholarship of Library and Information Science – $500 (one recipient)
- SAGE & JCLC Inc. Student Scholarship – $2,000 (two recipients, $1,000 each)
Eligibility & Requirement:
- Applicants must be of Chinese descent and an active CALA member in good standing.
- Applicants must be full-time students currently enrolled in an ALA-accredited library and information science program, pursuing either a master’s or doctoral degree.
- Scholarship recipients must commit to serve on a CALA committee, subcommittee, or task force in the following year.
Additional Expectations for SAGE/JCLC Scholarship:
- Recipients must write a 500–800-word blog post articulating how the award benefited them. Additional prompts will be provided (TBD). The blog will be published on the SAGE website and in the CALA newsletter.
- Employees of SAGE and their immediate family members (spouse, parent, sibling, child, and their respective spouses) and those residing in the same household are not eligible for this scholarship.
How to Apply:
- The application deadline is March 31, 2025.
- Applicants must submit their materials in one single PDF file along with the online application form.
The application package must include:
- Curriculum vitae (CV)
- A personal statement (up to 500 words)
- Describe your interests, how the scholarship would benefit you, and your
leadership goals - Highlight your contribution to the profession and CALA and actions
demonstrating leadership potential
- Describe your interests, how the scholarship would benefit you, and your
- An unofficial academic transcript
- A verification of enrollment in an ALA-accredited graduate LIS program (confirming full-
time student status) - Two letters of reference.
- Strong letters should come from individuals who know the applicant well and
can attest to their achievements, character, leadership skills, and potential for
success. - Ideal candidates include:
- Professors, instructors, or academic advisors
- Research supervisors
- Mentors or supervisors from extracurricular activities (e.g., club advisors,
community leaders) - Employers or internship supervisors
- Strong letters should come from individuals who know the applicant well and
Evaluation Criteria:
A review panel appointed by the CALA Scholarship Committee will evaluate applicants based on
the stated eligibility criteria. Major evaluation factors include:
- Academic excellence
- Leadership potential
- Commitment to a career in librarianship
- Potential to contribute meaningfully to CALA’s mission and community
Additional Information:
- Please note that the submission form requires a Google account login to upload a file. We apologize for this limitation.
- If you have questions or need assistance with the application process, please contact the CALA Scholarship Committee at [email protected] or one of the committee members listed below. We will be happy to help.
- 2025 CALA Scholarship Committee
- Feng-Ru Sheu, [email protected]
- Hongjun Li, [email protected]
- Songyao Chen, [email protected]
- Min Tong, [email protected]
- Raymond Wang, [email protected]