CLA Scholarship For BIPOC Students in Memory of Edna Yelland

The CLA Scholarship for Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) Students in Memory of Edna Yelland encourages and supports students in the attainment of a graduate degree in library or information studies and encourages commitment to the improvement of library services to BIPOC communities.

Edna Yelland graduated from the California State Library School in Sacramento, obtained a County Librarians Certificate and served as the librarian for Tuolumne County and then San Mateo County. She later headed the Cutting Branch of Richmond Public Library and, from this position, became executive secretary of the California Library Association from 1947 to 1963. It is in memory of this gracious woman who worked so hard to promote the goals of the association and of the profession that the Edna Yelland scholarships are awarded. A profile of Edna Yelland is available here.

A maximum of three scholarships are awarded each year. Recipients are each awarded $2,500, a one-year student membership to CLA, and honored at the CLA annual conference. Recipients are encouraged to enroll into CLA's Mentoring Program.

The CLA Scholarship for Black, Indigenous, People of Color Students in Memory of Edna Yelland is funded by CLA's Edna Yelland Scholarship Fund. Contributions to the fund are tax-deductible and will enable CLA to continue supporting BIPOC students and encouraging commitment to the improvement of library services to BIPOC communities in California.

If you would like to contribute to CLA's Edna Yelland Scholarship Fund, please send your check or money order to the CLA office or use our online donation form. For more information on making a contribution, please contact the CLA Executive Director.

Eligibility

Applicants must:

• be US citizens (or permanent US residents) and permanent California residents;
• be enrolled in an ALA-accredited master's of library and information science or information studies program and have completed one or more courses (applications from students at institutions actively seeking accreditation are also welcome);
• intend to work in a California library upon graduation;
• be a member of one or more of the following ethnic groups: African American, Black, or African; Native American, First Nations, or Indigenous to Central or South America; Asian; Latino, Hispanic or Caribbean American; Middle Eastern/North African;  Pacific Islander / Indigenous to Oceania; South Asian;
• provide a description of your financial need; and
• be available for an interview by the Edna Yelland Scholarship Committee. Individuals may be chosen for an oral interview based upon the merits of the written application.

How to apply

Applicants should complete the online form and submit the following to CLA:

• An official record of master's-level courses completed to date (does not have to be an official transcript);
• An explanation of your current financial situation (including salary, number of dependents, etc.). This information will remain strictly confidential.
• A list of all scholarships and financial aid for which you intend to apply and/or have been awarded for graduate education.
• The names and addresses of the educational institutions you have attended and, for each institution, your highest degree attained (if any), your years of attendance, and your subject or field of study.
• A list of your employers, dates of employment, and a brief description of your responsibilities for any library experience.
• Information you would like to tell us about any volunteer experiences.
• Names and contact information for two professional references.
• An essay that includes all of the following topics, be grammatically correct, and be 1,000 words or less:
  • Tell us about your work or community/volunteer experiences (in or out the library field) which have addressed the concerns and empowerment of diverse communities?
  • How have you worked/innovated to directly address an inequality in underserved and marginalized communities?
  • What skills do you hope to gain from your MLIS studies?
  • How will this scholarship help you achieve your goals and support BIPOC communities?