The Richmond Academic Library Consortium (RALC) is pleased to announce its 17th annual RALC Award for the Profession for Academic Year 2024-25.
Recruitment of talented staff and students into librarianship has emerged as a core goal of professional development in libraries. Creating improved opportunity for under-represented groups to enter the profession also has become a major goal.
To help meet these goals, the RALC Award for the Profession provides financial support for graduate education leading to an advanced degree in library science, information science, information systems, archival studies, or related programs. The Award is intended to support staff in RALC libraries who wish to earn a professional degree.
This Award provides financial support for graduate education leading to an advanced degree in library science, information science, information systems, archival studies, or related programs. It supports staff members at RALC libraries who wish to earn a professional degree. It awards a minimum of $1,000 per academic year to qualified applicants. Multiple recipients are possible each year depending on available funds. Previous recipients may apply again.
Eligibility requirements:
- Awards are provided without regard for financial standing.
- Applicants must have served for at least one year as a permanent employee at a RALC institution, including part-time permanent employment. Temporary employees are not eligible.
- Reimbursement can be dispersed as either half the award at the end of each term, or the entire award at the end of an individual semester or term.
- Recipients must continue to work for a RALC institution during the term of the award. In the case of termination for any reason, the award for the current semester is not affected but the recipient is not eligible for further support beyond the current semester.
- Awards are annual. Recipients must apply each year to be eligible for multi-year support, and there is no guarantee that a recipient will receive an award each year.
- Awards cover tuition and fees for ALA-accredited graduate programs only. No other expenses are allowable.
- Applicants must earn passing grades to receive reimbursement. Payment is made to recipients after presentation of appropriate proof of payment to an institution for tuition and fees, and proof of passing grades at that institution.