CALA Scholarships
The Chinese American Librarians Association (CALA) offers multiple scholarships each year to its student members to support their professional and leadership development in Chinese American librarianship.
With the recent renewal of the agreement between SAGE and the Joint Council of Librarians of Color (JCLC, Inc.), SAGE will provide each member association of the National Associations of Librarians of Color (NALCos) with $2,000 in scholarships. As a member of NALCos, CALA will award two JCLC SAGE Scholarships, each valued at $1,000. This addition expands the scholarship opportunities available through CALA this year.
2025 CALA Scholarship Opportunities:
- CALA Scholarship of Library and Information Science – $1,000 (one recipient)
- Sheila Suen Lai Scholarship of Library and Information Science – $500 (one recipient)
- SAGE & JCLC Inc. Student Scholarship – $2,000 (two recipients, $1,000 each)
Eligibility & Requirement:
- Applicants must be of Chinese descent and an active CALA member in good standing.
- Applicants must be full-time students currently enrolled in an ALA-accredited library and information science program, pursuing either a master’s or doctoral degree.
- Scholarship recipients must commit to serve on a CALA committee, subcommittee, or task force in the following year.
Additional Eligibility & Expectations for the SAGE JCLC Scholarship:
- Recipients must write a 500–800-word blog post articulating how the award benefited them. Additional prompts will be provided (TBD). The blog will be published on the SAGE website and in the CALA newsletter.
- Employees of SAGE and their immediate family members (spouse, parent, sibling, child, and their respective spouses) and those residing in the same household are not eligible for this scholarship.
How to apply:
- The application deadline is April 20 2025.
- Applicants must submit their materials in one single PDF file along with the online application form.
The application package must include:
- Curriculum vitae (CV)
- A personal statement (up to 500 words)
- Describe your interests, how the scholarship would benefit you, and your leadership goals
- Highlight your contribution to the profession and CALA and actions demonstrating leadership potential
- An unofficial academic transcript
- A verification of enrollment in an ALA-accredited graduate LIS program (confirming full-time student status)
- Two letters of reference.
- Strong letters should come from individuals who know the applicant well and can attest to their achievements, character, leadership skills, and potential for success.
- Ideal candidates include:
-
- Professors, instructors, or academic advisors
- Research supervisors
- Mentors or supervisors from extracurricular activities (e.g., club advisors, community leaders)
- Employers or internship supervisors
Evaluation Criteria:
A review panel appointed by the CALA Scholarship Committee will evaluate applicants based on the stated eligibility criteria. Major evaluation factors include:
- Academic excellence
- Leadership potential
- Commitment to a career in librarianship
- Potential to contribute meaningfully to CALA’s mission and community
Additional Information:
- Please note that the submission form requires a Google account login to upload a file. We apologize for this limitation.
- If you have questions or need assistance with the application process, please contact the CALA Scholarship Committee at scholarship@cala-web.org or one of the committee members listed below. We will be happy to help.
2025 CALA Scholarship Committee
- Feng-Ru Sheu, fsheu@kent.edu
- Hongjun Li, lihj@cau.edu.cn
- Songyao Chen, schen@towson.edu
- Min Tong, min.tong@ucf.edu
- Raymond Wang, rwang@ccbcmd.edu
(last updated April 3, 2025)
