NJLA Scholarship

The Course Scholarship award will be $3000 per awardee to be used in the Fall semester (September 2026) and/or the Spring semester (January 2027). 

In partnership with the New Jersey State Library, and LibraryLinkNJ, NJLA will be awarding Equity Scholarships of $8,500 each to be used in the Fall semester (September 2026) through the Winter/Spring semester (January 2027). These awards intend to increase equity and diversity in the recruitment and retention of library workers in the state of New Jersey who identify as American Indian, Alaska Native, Asian, Black/African American, Hispanic/Latinx, Middle Eastern, North African, and/or Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander.

To be eligible for the Equity Scholarship, applicants must:

• Identify as American Indian, Alaska Native, Asian, Black/African American, Hispanic/Latinx, Middle Eastern, North African, and/or Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
• Be enrolled in an accredited program beginning no later than September 15, 2025 (Fall Semester) with full or part-time status (Students with acceptance letters may apply as long as they anticipate fall enrollment.)
• Plan to maintain a minimum course load of two classes per semester while receiving NJLA Equity Scholarship funding
• Live or work in New Jersey

For the first time, the Scholarship Committee will be awarding two $3,000 scholarships to college-bound teen library volunteers with the Joseph M. Gasparro Scholarship for Teen Volunteers. Applicants must live in New Jersey and volunteer for a NJ library. The purpose of this scholarship is to break down financial barriers for outstanding teen volunteers who are interested in pursuing a career in library sciences. While we don’t expect any graduating teen to fully commit to becoming a librarian, we hope to encourage them to consider librarianship as a path.

In libraries across the state, high school-aged volunteers are creating lasting impact on libraries by sharing their passions, dedicating their time, and spreading a love of libraries. If you are a library staff member who works with a stellar teen volunteer currently in 12th grade who is heading off to college in the fall 2026 semester, you can nominate them for this one-time $3,000 scholarship. Applicants should be prepared to provide:

• A  service log documenting the total number of hours completed at the library and descriptions of their service

• Answers to three short essay questions 

Library staff who are nominating an applicant should be prepared to write a nomination letter explaining what makes the applicant stand out from other volunteers.

Winners would also be given a year of NJLA membership and free attendance to the 2027 conference.

Teens who are employees of their library are eligible to apply, but they should also be active members of their teen volunteer group, and their application should be based solely on their work as a volunteer, not on their paid labor. Applicants who are found to have only been employed and not involved as a volunteer will be disqualified.