New Scholarships in Library and Information Science to Foster Diversity

Long Island University’s Palmer School to Provide
Nearly $80,000 to Underrepresented Students

Brookville, N.Y. -- Beginning in September, the Palmer School of Library and Information Science at the C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University will offer nearly $80,000 in scholarships to diverse students interested in pursuing careers in information technology. Three scholarships of up to $26,300 each will be awarded every fall to newly entering students seeking a Master of Science degree in Library and Information Science. The deadline for submitting applications is August 1, 2006.

“As information sciences take their place as mainstays of the future, the goal of the Palmer Leadership Diversity Initiative is to increase the number of diverse groups entering the library and information science profession. We want to develop the capabilities of future librarians to serve varied populations, including people with disabilities and low income communities,” said John Regazzi, dean of the Palmer School of Library and Information, a division of the College of Information and Computer Science (CICS) at the C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University.

The Leadership Diversity Initiative Scholarship can be applied to study at any one of the Palmer School’s four locations: C.W. Post in Brookville, the Brentwood Campus, Westchester Campus, or the University’s Manhattan site at the NYU Bobst Library.

Applicants must be United States citizensand meet academic eligibility criteria. Recipients will be determined based on a combination of factors, including letters of recommendation, personal essays, academic records and potential for leadership. Strong preference will be given to students from diverse backgrounds. Diversity includes, but is not limited to, race, color, gender, disability and national origin. Recipients must agree to register for at least 18 credits per year and complete the degree program in two years. Students must also agree to work at a library, library system or organization serving the library community for at least two years after graduation.

The Palmer School of Library and Information Science, founded in 1959, is nationally recognized for its American Library Association-accredited Master's Degree in Library and Information Science (a distinction shared by only 55 schools in the country), and for its Ph.D. in Information Studies, the only one of its kind in the New York metropolitan area. The M.S. degree in Library and Information Science offers specializations in such areas as school media specialist, archives and records management, public librarianship and rare books and special collections. The School also awards Advanced Certificates in Archives & Records Management and Public Library Director. The Palmer School is a division of C.W. Post's College of Information and Computer Science, which offers undergraduate and graduate programs in computer science, information systems and management engineering

For more information contact the Palmer School: (516) 299-2866; e-mail: palmer@liu.edu

Posted: June 26, 2006