Dear AXSLIB-L List Members:
Re recent questions and comments about recruitment of people
with disabilities into the library and information science
profession.
The American Library Association [ALA] Association of Specialized
and Cooperative Library Agencies [ASCLA] Division has a new
diversity scholarship, THE CENTURY SCHOLARSHIP
(http://www.ala.org/ascla/centuryscholarship.html). The purpose
of the Century Scholarship is to help students with disabilities
successfully complete their studies at ALA-accredited library
schools and become active library and information science
professionals.
Future plans for the Century Scholarship include an already
proposed partnership with the Able-to-Work Consortium
(www.abletowork.org ) to provide internships, practica, and
employment opportunities for Century Scholars and other people
with disabilities interested in the field , as well as to help
create assistive technology labs at ALL library schools. The
stated mission of the Able-to-Work Consortium is to recruit
people with disabilities into the workforce. An ALA ASCLA
Century Award, companion to the Century Scholarship, already has
been proposed to honor authors and illustrators of children's and
adults books that "say/depict it right" in portraying of people
with disabilities as PEOPLE First. The Newbery, the Caldecott,
the Coretta Scott King, the Pura Belpre ... Why NOT the Century
Award???
The Century Scholarship's homepage is:
http://www.ala.org/ascla/centuryscholarship.html
The Century Scholarship was first announced on June 27, 1999 at
the ASCLA President's Program at the ALA Annual Conference in New
Orleans. The first scholarship or scholarships is/are to be
awarded at the ASCLA President's Program at the ALA Annual
Conference in Chicago on Sunday, July 9th. The scholarship
currently is independently funded by anonymous donations with up
to $2500 available each year. With more funding in the future,
more scholarship funds should become available.
The annual application deadline is April 1st, so there still is
time to complete and submit the necessary forms. As an ALA
scholarship, completion of the ALA scholarship application
process is required (please see:
http://www.ala.org/work/awards/scholars.html). For more details
and the scholarship criteria, please refer to the Century
Scholarship homepage at:
http://www.ala.org/ascla/centuryscholarship.html
or call the ASCLA Office toll-free at 1-800-545-2433, ext. 4396,
or TDD: 312-944-7298.
The American Library Association view of diversity was
dramatically changed by the Century Scholarship. Once the
Century Scholarship became a reality, ALA publicly acknowledged
on its webpages and in its policies that diversity, and
underrepresented and underserved populations in the profession
and society's workforce also include people with disabilities. The
recruitment of people with disabilities into the profession is
now an EXPRESS part of ALA's mission statement on diversity
(please see: http://www.ala.org/work/ and
http://www.ala.org/work/diversity.html ). The language of ALA's
advocacy, recruitment, and anti-discrimination policies now
includes people with disabilities. The Century Scholarship has
been formally mentioned at ALA Council in discussions and a
resolution concerning the diversity initiatives needing ALA's
formal attention.
Among many, promotion of diversity historically has been viewed
to just apply to racial and ethnic groups. The Century
Scholarship aims to broaden that view by having the term
diversity applied as it is truly and actually defined:
differences among us, however those differences are manifested.
Once we acknowledge the true meaning of diversity, then we can
realize the Century Scholarship's theme and slogan: "Celebrating
a New Century that Celebrates Diversity."
A well-received panel discussion program on the Century
Scholarship was held on Thursday, January 13, 2000, at the
Association for Library and Information Science Education [ALISE]
2000 Conference in San Antonio. Audience members included
library school faculty, ALA staff members who work on diversity
issues, and the President of ALISE. Please see:
http://twu.edu/~s_perlow/csalise.html for details about this
program. The Century Scholarship is on ALISE's agenda, and thus
recruitment of students with disabilities into the library
profession now should be on the agenda of ALL library schools ...
and their affiliated institutions' libraries.
Upcoming programs on the Century Scholarship will be held:
Wednesday, April 12, 2000, 12 noon-1:20 pm - The Texas Library
Association Annual Conference, Houston, George Brown Convention
Center (room to be announced), "Recruiting People With
Disabilities" program; segment on Century Scholarship.
At the American Library Association Annual Conference, Chicago
Saturday, July 8, 2000, 3-5 pm - entry on the Century
Scholarship submitted for the ALA Diversity Fair; approval
pending
Sunday, July 9, 2000, 8:30 am-11 am ASCLA President's Program;
Ceremony for the awarding of the very first Century
Scholarship[s]
Monday, July 10, 2000, 9:30-11 am (location to be announced):
Library Services to People with Visual or Physical Disabilities
Forum Program: "The ADA: What Have You Done Lately" program.
Table Talk: "The Century Scholarship: Continuing the Success" One
focus of the discussion will be on successfully ACTIVELY
involving Corporate America, for instance, the companies of the
Able-to-Work Consortium, in the Century Scholarship Initiative.
--------------------------
I personally will be contacting the President's Committee on the
Employment of People with Disabilities
(http://www50.pcepd.gov/pcepd/ ) about the following:
In conjunction with this Committee:
- Nordstrom awards scholarships to undergraduates with
disabilities who are pursuing degrees in business.
- Nike awards scholarships to individuals with disabilities who
are majoring in sports or recreation management, sports
marketing, sports medicine or sports/recreation retail.
- The ELA Foundation awards scholarships to female graduate
students with disabilities who are studying, researching and
writing about disability policy.
See the Committee's website at http://www50.pcepd.gov/pcepd/ for
details about the above awards.
The ALA/ASCLA Century Scholarship aims to assist students with
disabilities who are pursuing [ALA-accredited] library and
information science careers. With endorsement by the President's
Committee on the Employment of People with Disabilities as well
as corporate support of the Century Scholarship, imagine the
possibilities!
ALA/ASCLA's Century Scholarship
Celebrating a New Century that Celebrates Diversity
http://www.ala.org/ascla/centuryscholarship.html
Tel.:1-800-545-2433, ext. 4396, or TDD: 312-944-7298
April 1st Annual Application Deadline
*ASCLA is the division within ALA that has a number of sections
and forums that focus on advocacy for people with disabilities.
If you wish your voices to be heard, please join and become
active in ASCLA. Please call the ASCLA Office TOLL-FREE
1-800-545-2433 ext. 4395 or TDD: 312-944-7298. Visit ASCLA's
webpage at http://www.ala.org/ascla/
Working together we can make a positive difference.
--------------------------
Ellen Perlow
ALA ASCLA Century Scholarship Committee Member
Chair-Elect, ASCLA's Library Services to People with Physical or
Visual Disabilities [LSPVPD] Forum
Member and LITA Liaison to ASCLA's ADA Assembly
---------------------------
Manager of Information Services
School of Library and Information Studies
Texas Woman's University
PO Box 425438
Denton, TX 76204-5438
E-Mail: [log in to unmask]
Tel.: 940-898-2622 Fax: 940-898-2611
EASI's online workshop on Barrier-free Educational Technology,
Barrier-free Ed-Tech, begins March, 13.
Making campuses accessible is the right thing to do,
and it is the law. For information, go to
http://www.rit.edu/~easi and click on workshops.
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