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Help with the Master of Information and Library Science Degree

Purpose:

• To encourage college graduates with demonstrated scholarship,talent, and potential to enter the library profession.
• To encourage these new librarians to work in Illinois libraries.
• To improve and stimulate development of library service in Illinois.

Amount of Training Grants:

$7,500 each, paid to the grant recipient contingent on Library Service and Technology Act (LSTA) federal funds.

Number of Training Grants:

The Illinois State Library will award up to 15 training grants per academic year.

How to Apply:

Complete the application form listed below and mail to: (Include all supporting data requested.)
Illinois State Library
Training Grant Program
300 South Second Street
Springfield, Illinois 62701-1796
Telephone: (217) 782-7848

Deadline:

May 1 of current calendar year.

Eligibility Requirements:

• Resident of Illinois and a citizen of the United States or one of its territories.
• Bachelor's degree from an accredited four-year college or university with transcripts of all academic work submitted to the Illinois State Library.
• Acceptance in the master's degree program of an American Library Association accredited graduate library school and not currently/previously enrolled in a library science master's degree program.
• Compliance with the entrance requirements of the selected graduate library school.
• Contract signed with the state of Illinois, Illinois State Library, consenting to spend the equivalent of two full-time years in Illinois library service within the first three years following graduation from graduate library school. Service must be in an Illinois library, an Illinois Regional Library System or at the Illinois State Library.

Selection:

• Candidates must make written application on the attached form.
• In addition to three references being required, qualifying candidates will be personally interviewed by staff of the Illinois State Library and members of a Training Grant Review Committee.
• Only those candidates whose complete applications (including all required transcripts, references, etc.) meet the May 1 deadline will be considered.
• Each applicant will be notified of the action taken on the application within one month after its consideration by the Illinois State Library's Training Grant Review Committee.
• Final selection or rejection of applicants rests with the Illinois State Library.

Conditions of Training Grant (if training grant is awarded):

• Recipient must submit proof of acceptance in a Master of Library and Information Science degree program in an American Library Association accredited library school on or before the application deadline date.
• Recipient must notify the Illinois State Library of the library school, date of admission, and anticipated date of graduation.
• Recipient must not be enrolled in the master degree program of the library graduate school prior to May 1, but must be enrolled by the Fall session of the academic year.
• Recipient must notify the Illinois State Library immediately if financial scholarships and/or loans in addition to Illinois State Library training grant are accepted by the recipient.
• Graduate study must be on a full-time or part-time basis with no interruption or leave of absence permitted except with the approval of the director of the Illinois State Library upon written application.
  Recipient must forward transcripts of graduate library school courses for each semester of study to the Illinois State Library Training Grant Program within thirty days following the semester's conclusion.
• Training grant is subject to cancellation if a grade C average for each semester of graduate library courses is not maintained.
• If, for any reason, the training grant recipient is unable to complete the required course program and receive the Master of Library and Information Science Degree, the recipient must refund the total amount of money received. The grant must also be repaid if the recipient fails to fulfill the personal services contract for the equivalent of two years of full-time work in a qualifying Illinois library . In the event of other extenuating circumstances, the responsibility of the recipient will be reviewed and determined by the Illinois State Library.
• Recipient must satisfy the requirements of the personal services contract with the Illinois State Library within the first three years following graduation from graduate library school.
• The recipient must submit to the Illinois State Library proof of employment by an Illinois library, an Illinois Regional Library System or at the Illinois State Library and proof of continued employment in such a library until the two-year work agreement has been fulfilled.

Funding:

Recipients can expect to receive their grant payment no later than November 1 of the academic year.
Training Grants are awarded by the Illinois State Library, Office of the Secretary of State, using Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) federal funds.