CALA Scholarships
CALA Scholarships
The Chinese American Library Association (CALA) offers several scholarship opportunities which are designed to encourage professional and leadership development in Chinese American librarianship. They are open to full-time students of Chinese heritage who are currently enrolled in an ALA-accredited master's or doctoral program of library and information science at an institution of higher education in North America (with the exception of The Huang Tso-ping and Wu Yao-yu Research and Scholarship).
You can apply for any of the following scholarships through a single online application (see the Related Information section below). Review the followings information for additional details for each scholarship.
The CALA Scholarship of Library and Information Science
This scholarship awards $1000 to a full-time student at an ALA-accredited library school.
The Sheila Suen Lai Scholarship of Library and Information Science
This scholarship awards $500 to a full-time student at an ALA-accredited library school.
Lisa Zhao Scholarship Fund
The Lisa Zhao Scholarship is to encourage CALA members to engage in professional conferences and development activities and to support and contribute to CALA. Lisa Zhao Scholarship includes two awards.
(1) Current Students ($500)—This is open to current full-time students enrolled in an ALA accredited Library School.
(2) New Librarians ($500) – This is for current CALA members who graduated from ALA Accredited Schools within the past 5 years (New Librarian) and have been with CALA for at least three years.
Each Scholarship is $500 given at CALA Annual Banquet. Both recipients are required to attend CALA Annual Program and Annual Banquet for the Award year. Student members who have received this scholarship before are also encouraged to apply to the one intended for new librarians after 3 years.
The Huang Tso-ping and Wu Yao-yu Research and Scholarship
This scholarship awards faculty and students at the Wuhan University, China. One award is for a library school faculty member ($400) and two awards go to library school students ($200 each).
These scholarships are designed to encourage professional and leadership development in Chinese American librarianship. They are open to full-time students of Chinese heritage who are currently enrolled in an ALA-accredited master's or doctoral program of library and information science at an institution of higher education in North America (with the exception of The Huang Tso-ping and Wu Yao-yu Research and Scholarship). The recipient must be enrolled as a full-time student at the time the scholarship is awarded. Applicants may apply for any or all of the scholarships listed above. All scholarships are awarded in U.S. dollars.
The scholarship process is open annually from November through April. Applications and reference forms are available during this time period. Instructions and general information remain available throughout the year. PLEASE NOTE: You only need to complete ONE online application regardless of the number of scholarships you apply for. You may apply for as many scholarships as you are eligible for by checking the appropriate boxes on the application form. Applications and reference forms much be submitted online.
The following items are required for all scholarship applications.
- Required. Completed online application.
- Required. Curriculum vita.
- Required. Personal statement.
- Required. Three letters of reference. The reference letter form is available on the CALA Scholarship homepage.
- Required. An official academic transcript from institutions where you are currently enrolled in a MLIS program. If you are not currently enrolled in a MLIS program, but will be enrolled in a MLIS program, submit the official academic transcript from institutions where you received your bachelor’s degree.
- Required. Verification of admission to an ALA-accredited graduate LIS program as a full-time student and/or proof of current full-time enrollment status.
Note: The completion of the application is the responsibility of the applicant.
If you have questions or concerns about the application process, please contact the CALA Scholarship Committee.
Related Information
Scholarships Awarded in the Past