About the Award

Purpose of the Fund

The purpose of awards from the Margaret Williams Trust Fund is to promote development of librarianship in Newfoundland and Labrador by providing funds for scholarships, research, special projects, and work exchange opportunities.

Awards

Funds are awarded, on a competitive basis, to individuals who have proposed a specific project. The types of projects which are considered for funding are described below:

Scholarships may be awarded to students who have been accepted into a full-time programme of studies leading to an M.L.I.S. (or equivalent) degree at an accredited library school (on campus or online). Applications for conjoint professional programs involving Library Science (e.g., Library Science and Business or Archival Studies or Law) will also be considered by the Awards Jury. Scholarships may also be awarded to students who have been accepted into a full-time programme of studies leading to a M.Ed. with a Teacher-Librarianship focus.

Funds may be awarded to a librarian for a research project on some aspect of librarianship. Any project, of either an empirical or theoretical nature, involving academic, public, school or special libraries will be eligible for consideration for funding. All librarians residing in the province may apply, whether or not they are currently employed in a library.

Funds may be awarded to a librarian for a project involving the preparation of an index, catalogue, database, or bibliography of material of particular interest to libraries in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Funds may be awarded to a librarian who is currently employed in a library in the province to undertake a work exchange experience in another library in or outside the province. Preference will be given to proposed work exchanges which have specific objectives which, if achieved, are likely to enhance library service in the province in some concrete way.

The term "librarian" in sections (b), (c) and (d) above, is intended to include people at several levels of library qualifications. As used here, the term includes:

any librarian with an M.L.I.S. degree or its equivalent
any full-time (i.e., spending at least 75% of his/her time in the library) school librarian (with or without a library degree)
any person in sole charge of a school, public, or special library
any senior library technician in the public library system or college, or LA III - LA VIII in the university library

Candidates with any of the above qualifications may be considered for an award, provided that they have two years work experience in a library, preferably in the province.

An annual sub-committee comprised of three volunteers from the Board of Trustees will form the awards jury and appoint a chair. The Chair will administer all applications that are received. In accordance with the Newfoundland Human Rights Code, no discrimination will be made against any individual candidate.

In judging scholarship applications (section a), the chief criteria considered by the Awards Jury will be academic performance and demonstrated interest in the profession. Evaluation of these criteria will be based on the applicant’s curriculum vitae, letters of reference, and written response to the question, “What is your chief reason for wishing to become a professional librarian?” Though the Awards Jury also considers whether other funds have been applied for or received (e.g. scholarships or financial aid), financial need per se is not the determining factor in deciding which candidates receive an award.

In judging applications for research, project, or work exchange funds (sections b, c, and d) the chief criterion considered by the Awards Jury will be the potential value to librarianship in this province. Though the Awards Jury examines the candidates' qualifications to assess whether they have the necessary training and experience to carry out their proposed projects, qualifications per se are not the determining factor in deciding which candidates receive an award. Also, no discrimination will be made based on the type of library represented by the candidate or his/her project.

In all cases, the recommendations of the Awards Jury will be submitted to the Board of Trustees for approval, and subsequently the candidates will be notified.

Projects which are not eligible for funding

Awards will not be made to

fund travel expenses to conferences,
pay any of the expenses of attending continuing education courses,
fund guest lecturers or workshops on topics in librarianship,
pay the expenses or fees of consultants hired to investigate problems of specific libraries.