The ACRL Board of Directors has approved funding for one year of ALA and ACRL membership for up to 25 library workers who identify as Black, Indigenous, and/or People of Color (BIPOC) and 15 library workers who identify as persons with disabilities. This membership amounts to an annual savings ranging from $106 to $236 per membership for the recipient.
Funding for the memberships will be provided for two years (July 2024 – June 2026). The ACRL EDI Committee will request an additional year of funding from the ACRL Board for recipients interested in continuing for a second year. This two-year funding cycle will allow for:
ACRL has a core commitment to “acknowledge and address historical racial inequities; challenge oppressive systems within academic libraries; value different ways of knowing; and identify and work to eliminate barriers to equitable services, spaces, resources, and scholarship”[1]. Funding these memberships is one element of this commitment. Like the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) Relief Renewals for BIPOC Members, this ACRL membership funding “increas[es] the intentional retention of a diverse membership, while reducing barriers to participation”[2].
Note: This membership funding is available to academic or research library workers who do not have an MLS/MLIS as well as those who do. Both are encouraged to apply.
If we receive more applications than the memberships for which we have funding, we will prioritize applications from academic or research library workers who:
The ACRL Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) Committee will be reviewing applications. To apply, please submit your application by Friday, April 26, 2024. Awardees will be notified by June 1, 2024, and the free membership will begin on July 1, 2024. If you have any questions about this opportunity, please contact Membership Initiatives Subcommittee coordinator Je Salvador at js...@uw.edu.