Who is this for?
This program is designed for people who identify as BIPOC and are either:
- MLIS students or those who have graduated from such a program within the last three years
- Early professionals (three years or fewer)
How long is the program?
The in-class elements of this program will be three months total, from October through December 2022, with participants meeting on a bi-weekly basis. At the conclusion of coursework, participants will receive a scholarship of up to $2,000 to attend a library, archives or leadership-related conference, course, or professional development event. Scholarship funding may be used any time between January 1, 2023 and June 23, 2022.
Participants will select an educational experience that meets their needs and interests and must notify METRO Staff of their selection. METRO reserves the right to refrain from supporting any institutions, events, or courses that in any way violate our Code of Conduct and Equity Statements.
How many students/early professionals will be admitted?
Five total
Who is eligible for this program?
- Those who are enrolled in an MLIS OR have graduated from such a program within the past three years
- Have three or fewer years of experience as a credentialed librarian or archivist
- Identify as a Black person, Indigenous person, or other person of color
How often will the group meet?
The group will meet every other week starting on Friday, October 7, 2022. This program will hold bi-weekly classes with an assignment due one week after classes conclude on Friday, December 16, 2022.
When are the classes?
Class will be held bi-weekly on Friday from 9 am to 11 am. Each class will be 120 minutes in length.
Who will be teaching these classes?
We are extremely grateful to work with an exciting and knowledgeable group of professionals to lead each class. They are:
- Dr. Kawanna Bright, Assistant Professor of Library Science at East Carolina University
- Tonya Leslie, PhD (As part of We Need 2 Talk)
- Jessica Hochman, PhD (As part of We Need 2 Talk)
- Diana Moronta, Instruction and Technology Librarian at New York Institute of Technology-Manhattan Library
- Rob Simmons, Director of Social Services and Public Safety at Oak Park Public Library (IL)
- Shawn(ta) Smith-Cruz, Assistant Curator and Associate Dean for Teaching, Learning, and Engagement at New York University Division of Libraries
What assignments will be required of participants?
Participants will be required to attend each class, engage with the material, submit a 250-500 word reflection piece to METRO staff one week after each session, and prepare a final project due to METRO by Monday, December 19th, 2022. Potential project types are listed above, and we encourage creativity in the final project you’d like to do for this program. Surprise us!
What sorts of continuing education experiences will qualify for scholarship?
Participants will receive a scholarship of up to $2,000 to put toward the cost of any library, archives or leadership-related conference, course, or professional development event. Qualifying events include:
- American Library Association’s LibLearnX Conference
- Public Library Association conference
- Visual Resource Association conference
- SUNYLA Conference
- RBMS Conference
- code4lib conference
- AAM Annual Meeting & MuseumExpo
- Mid-Atlantic Regional Archives Conference (MARAC)
- New York Archives Conference
- ACRL conference
- ARLIS conference
- Association for Record Sound Collections
… and any other industry-related conference. Continuing education classes and other events that take place virtually are also eligible. Funding must be expended by June 23, 2023.
What expenses will be reimbursed in the scholarship that’s part of this program?
Eligible expenses include conference/event registration costs, housing, $75 per diem for food (alcoholic beverages are not an eligible expense) and transportation. If childcare is a concern, please email Traci Mark (tmark@metro.org) with info@metro.org copied to schedule a meeting to discuss costs to cover this while participants are engaged in continuing education.
How can I apply?
You can apply for the program by providing your CV or resume, two letters of recommendation—they can be professional, academic, or one of each—and a 500-700 word letter of intent that describes what you hope to gain from the program. Please send your applications to Traci Mark (tmark@metro.org) with info@metro.org coped by Friday, August 5th 2022.
When will interviews take place?
Interviews will be conducted via Zoom on Wednesday August 24th, Thursday August 25th, Wednesday Sept 7th, Thursday September 8th, Friday September 9th, Tuesday September 13th and Wednesday September 14th. We will contact selected applicants to choose the time and date that works best for them. Interviews will be no longer than 30 minutes.
When can I expect to be notified?
We will notify applicants if they’re selected for the program during the week of Monday, September 19th. We will also notify those who are not selected for this cycle.