WLA Scholarships

2024 Scholarships Timeline

May 1, 2024: Applications Open
June 28, 2024: Applications Close
August 23, 2024: Winners Notified

Scholarship Forms

Applications for the 2024-2025 WLA Scholarship cycle are now closed. Scholarship winners will be notified by Aug. 23 and announced to WLA membership the week following.

Scholarship Descriptions

These WLA scholarships are memorial scholarships, created and funded by families and friends in memory of their loved ones to honor each person’s service to libraries. WLA members can continue to donate money in their names.

Maryan E. Reynolds Scholarship: $1000 - $3000 to one or more WLA members who is enrolled in an ALA-accredited Masters degree program and has completed at least one semester or quarter.

Hahn-Ahlers Continuing Education Scholarship: $1000 to a WLA member toward a degree, certificate, or graduate-level study in the Library or Education fields.

John Stanford Continuing Education Scholarship: $1000 to a current WLA member of color toward a degree, certificate, or graduate level study in the Library or Education fields.

Denny Bond Library Paraprofessional Scholarship: $500 or $1000 to a current school library paraprofessional and WLA member toward participation at a local or national library-related conference, workshop, or educational event. Eligible for the WLA 2025 Conference! Sponsored by the WLA School Library Division.

Sharon Bates Professional Growth Scholarship: $500 or $1000 to a current school library employee and WLA member toward participation at a local or national library-related conference, workshop or educational event. Eligible for the WLA 2025 Conference! Sponsored by the WLA School Library Division.

The American Library Association (ALA) offers more awards, grants, and scholarships.

To Apply

One application can be submitted for more than one scholarship. Indicate if you are applying for multiple. Once scholarships open, please fill out the online application. If you wish to send any required components separately, please email them to the WLA Office at [email protected].

Scholarship Requirements

• Applicants must be individual Washington Library Association members.
  
  
• Applicants must provide a resume with their application.
  
  
• Maryan E. Reynolds Scholarship ONLY – Applicants must be enrolled in an ALA-accredited master’s degree program and completed at least one semester or quarter. Applicants must provide an official transcript with their application.
  
  
• Maryan E. Reynolds, Hahn-Ahlers, and John Stanford Continuing Education Scholarship applicants must provide three (3) letters of recommendation. All other scholarship applicants must provide two (2) letters of recommendation.
  
  
• Denny Bond Library Paraprofessional Scholarship and Sharon Bates Professional Growth Scholarship ONLY - Applicants must be educators or library paraprofessionals working in Washington school libraries, or prospective librarians who intend to work in Washington school libraries 
  
  
• School Library Division scholarships may be awarded for one of the following:
  • Classes toward Library Media Endorsement
  • Advanced study in a library-related field
  • Attendance at a library-related conference
    
    
• Scholarship recipients are required to share the outcome of or information about the results of their scholarship

Requirements at a Glance

To Donate

If you would like to donate to WLA scholarship funds, please fill out this donation form. Thank you!