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Grant Opportunity: Brooke E. Sheldon Professional Development Grant

From the website New Mexico Library Foundation

Grant Guidelines

Purpose

Brooke E. Sheldon was a librarian and educator who served as Director of Library Development at the New Mexico State Library, President of the American Library Association and Dean and Professor at the Graduate School of Library and Information Science at the University of Texas at Austin amongst many other positions throughout her career.  This grant is a competitive grant intended to honor her passion for education and professional development in the field of library and information sciences.  The purpose of the grant is to encourage professional development by enabling attendance or participation in library-related professional development activities.

Eligibility

Employees (including volunteers in libraries without employees) of libraries in New Mexico who have not previously received a professional development grant from the New Mexico Library Foundation.  Physical and virtual professional development opportunities are eligible.

Uses

Grants will be awarded for professional development activities including, but not limited to:
  • Attendance or participation in conferences or workshops
  • Tuition for a class at a graduate or undergraduate institution
  • Registration in a Continuing Education course at a conference
  • Registration in an Online Continuing Education course or webinar

Qualifying Related Expenses

Grant awards may be used to cover:

  • Registration or tuition fees
  • Materials fees
  • Travel, meals and lodging, following rates set forth in NMAC 2.42.2.

Grants will not be awarded to cover expenses other than stated above.

Maximum Award

Awards will not exceed $250.00 per grantee.

Application Process

Applications will be submitted a minimum of 8 weeks prior to either the date of the professional development activity or the deadline to register for the activity, whichever is earlier.

Applications must include:

  • A statement as to how the professional development activity will benefit libraries in New Mexico.  This benefit can be to one library or library service within New Mexico.  Applicants are encouraged to indicate if this is their first time participating in the professional development activity.
  • A budget showing how the grant funds will be used and how additional expenses will be covered, if applicable.
  • A plan for sharing knowledge gained with the broader New Mexico library community.  For example, this could be an article in Hitchhiker, the newsletter or blog of a local professional association or a presentation to colleagues at an “inservice” workshop.

Application Evaluation

Applications meeting all eligibility, budgetary and application requirements will be evaluated based on the impact of the proposed activity as demonstrated in the application.

No more than 2 grants will be awarded for any single professional development activity, e.g. to support attending a specific conference, to employees of a single library, except in special circumstances.

No more than a total of 4 grants will be awarded for any single professional development activity, e.g. to support attending a specific conference, except in special circumstances.

Grant Compliance

NMLF will not consider grant applications that are not fully and accurately completed.

If grantee fails to attend or participate in the awarded activity, funds will be returned to the New Mexico Library Foundation.

Grant Application

Questions should be sent to:  grants@nm-lf.org