GSLIS to award first Evans Minority Student Scholarship this fall

The GSLIS Office of Advancement is happy to announce that the School's first G. Edward Evans Minority Student Scholarship will be awarded for the Fall 2015 semester. Dr. Evans's (PhD '69) goal in making this gift was to facilitate increased enrollment of underrepresented groups in LIS education and the information professions.

In addition to making a substantial personal gift to the School, Evans is calling on the publishers who have benefited from his professional success to contribute as well. Libraries Unlimited, an imprint of ABC-CLIO, has accepted Evans's challenge and made a contribution to the scholarship fund. He is calling on his peers in the field to give as well.

After completing his PhD at GSLIS in 1969, Evans joined the faculty at University of California, Los Angeles Graduate School of Library and Information Science, where he worked closely with the American Indian Studies Center and helped to secure scholarships for Native American students. He was also involved in fundraising efforts of the California Library Association's Scholarship for Minority Students in Memory of Edna Yelland.

Evans went on to hold leadership and teaching positions at Harvard College, Loyola Marymount University, and the University of Denver. In addition to his GSLIS degree, he holds degrees in anthropology and archaeology. He held a National Science Foundation fellowship and has taught in both LIS and anthropology. As a Fulbright scholar, he taught management and collection development courses in library schools in Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland.

Now retired, Evans live in Flagstaff, Arizona, where he is vice president of the Friends Flagstaff City-Coconino County Public Library System group and serves on the Foundation board for the Flagstaff City-Coconino County Public Library System. He continues to write and conduct research in LIS.

His publications include: Management Basics for Information Professionals, Introduction to Library Public Services, Developing Library and Information Center Collections, Introduction to Technical Services, Collection Management Basics, Leadership Basics for Librarians and Information Professionals, and more.

"I been publishing LIS textbooks for more years than I care to remember," Evans said laughing. "Students have had to buy many of those books. I decided that I should give back some of the royalties I earned in some manner. I hope this scholarship will increase the number of students that will attend Illinois and graduate and go into the field.”

"Our goal at GSLIS is to continue to develop and sustain a diverse student body, and this scholarship will support that work," said Delicia Greene, visiting recruiting and diversity specialist. "It indicates to both incoming and continuing students GSLIS's fervent commitment to diversifying the LIS workforce by creating an inclusive academic environment."

To support the G. Edward Evans Minority Student Scholarship fund, make a gift online via our secure website (click the "Scholarships" tab, then select the fund), or contact the GSLIS Office of Advancement at (217) 244-3274. Visit our Inclusion Initiatives page to learn more about activities in this area.

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