Five GSLIS master's degree students and one doctoral student have been named 2013 Spectrum Scholars by the American Library Association (ALA). Established in 1997, the Spectrum Scholarship Program was created to promote diversity among graduate-level library school students. Each master's-level scholar receives $5,000 from the ALA as well as over $1,500 toward professional development opportunities. In addition, GSLIS provides each scholar with a tuition waiver. Illinois residents who are recipients of the Spectrum Scholarship also receive a grant from The Sylvia Murphy Williams Fund, part of the Illinois Library Association (ILA).
Since 2006, funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services has provided each Spectrum Doctoral Fellow with two years of full tuition support and a stipend. GSLIS provides an additional two years of tuition support. Fellows also receive support for participation in conferences at which they share their research, and they participate in two Spectrum Doctoral Fellows Institutes. Illinois residents also receive a grant from the ILA's Sylvia Murphy Williams Fund.
Jessica Bastian (ACRL Scholar) is pursuing a master's degree. She is focusing on academic librarianship and has an interest in community informatics.
"I am delighted and honored to join the distinguished group of Spectrum Scholars, past and present. This award is incredibly meaningful to me as it is an opportunity to engage with cutting edge professionals in building the future of LIS. Spectrum connects me to dynamic library leaders, who all share in my passion for improving information services and changing the lives of diverse and underserved populations. I look forward to learning from Spectrum leaders who are “in the trenches” doing the work that has inspired and attracted me to this profession. I want to thank the American Library Association, Spectrum, the Association of College and Research Libraries and, of course, GSLIS."
RaShauna Brannon (Spectrum Doctoral Fellow) will begin her doctoral studies at GSLIS in the fall of 2013, and will focus on digital literacy and digital inclusion. She is also interested in exploring diversity in librarianship.
"I am deeply honored to be chosen as a Spectrum Doctoral Fellow, and for the opportunity to become a part of the GSLIS and Illinois community. I am grateful for the Spectrum Initiative and its continued emphasis on investing in future scholars from diverse backgrounds. I look forward to contributing to current scholarship and engaging with my peers and colleagues as I strive to undertake meaningful research."
William Langston is pursuing a master's degree with a community informatics specialization. He has a particular interest in geographic information systems.
"I am very excited to become part of the Spectrum Scholars family. I look forward to sharing insight with fellow recipients and seeing how we all carve our path and promote LIS functions and products throughout various communities. Thank you very much to ALA, the ALA Spectrum Scholarship, Gwendolyn Prellwitz, the GSLIS community, faculty and staff, and my family."
Cecily Randle El is pursuing a master's degree. She is interested in how libraries can effectively address the unique concerns of the communities they serve, and the overlap between current community needs and technological resources and literacy.
"I am honored to be named a Spectrum Scholar. This program's cause means a lot to me, and I hope to fully participate in the movement toward increasing inclusivity in LIS. There is no possible replacement for diversity when it comes to the evolution and maturation of any field."
Katherine Rojas plans to focus her master's degree coursework in the areas of youth services and community informatics. She is participating in the Graduate College's Summer Predoctoral Institute (SPI), and researching library gaming programs and the educational aspects of video games.
"It is a great honor to receive the ALA Spectrum Scholarship, and I am very excited about this opportunity. Because of this honor, I will be able to connect with fellow Spectrum Scholars from all over the country who share similar, innovative ideas about librarianship. I look forward to meeting this diverse group of individuals and sharing my thoughts with them so that we can work together to serve the diverse needs of patrons who will walk into the doors of our future libraries."
Sophie Young (ALA/ProQuest Bash Scholar) is a LEEP student focusing her master's coursework on library administration and information sciences.
"I'm very grateful for the opportunities that the Spectrum Scholarship offers in leadership training, networking, and of course the financial assistance. I am especially grateful to GSLIS for its generous support of Spectrum Scholars; it speaks clearly to the school's dedication to fostering a just and diverse library community. I've just started the LEEP program and am already inspired and excited by the work. I come from 8 years of public library work, combined with a fairly conversant background in technology. Because of the strength of the GSLIS program in both areas, I plan to get a well-rounded degree synthesizing a library administration track and a substantive understanding of information sciences. I feel that a skillful coalescence would benefit both areas and produce something worthy of the effort."