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Maureen Woods Education Bursary

Eligibility

Candidates must be accepted or enrolled at the time of the award application in an ALA accredited graduate degree program in a Master of Library and Information Science or equivalent. Preference will be given to those candidates who are residents of Saskatchewan or who have strong Saskatchewan connections.

Candidates must be Canadian citizens or permanent residents. Candidates must not have received the bursary previously. Candidates will not receive the Indigenous Student MLIS Education Bursary and this award in the same year.

Selection Criteria

Applications will be considered on the basis of demonstrated ability to fulfill program requirements (indicated by academic achievement and/or references), leadership potential, interest in the profession, demonstration of competencies required of professional librarians of today, and connection to and interest in Saskatchewan.

Applications for the bursary must include:

  1. A completed Maureen Woods Education Bursary online application form;
  2. Two letters of reference, one academic and one employment, who can testify to the candidate’s academic achievement and professional ability, to be sent directly to the SLA office;
  3. An up-to-date resume;
  4. A cover letter;
  5. A personal statement of no more than 500 words outlining the applicant’s interest in librarianship which may include examples, interest/commitment to Saskatchewan, career goals and objectives, and community involvement. (Note: this information may form part of the cover letter); and,
  6. Applicants may choose to send post-secondary academic transcripts, but they must be sent directly to the SLA office. Transcripts are not required; however, applicants may submit them as an indication of their ability to complete the program.

A short interview may be required for finalists.

How to Apply

Please fill out the online application form. If you have any questions about your application, please email the SLA office at info@saskla.ca.

Any accompanying reference letters, electronic transcripts, or electronic proof of enrollment can be emailed to info@saskla.ca. Physical copies of any documents can be mailed to:

Saskatchewan Library Association
Suite 14 – 1870 Lorne St.
Regina, SK
S4P 2L7

General Information

The SLA Board issues a call for applications and establishes submission deadlines. Grant applications are reviewed by a Bursary Subcommittee under the SLA Continuing Education Committee. For more information about the bursary, please contact the SLA office by calling 306-780-3633 or by emailing info@saskla.ca.

Value of Award

$5,000

Bursary funds shall be awarded to successful recipients in a single annual disbursement.

Application Deadline

October 31 annually.

Desirae Munro has shoulder-length light brown hair that is tucked behind her ears. She wears a grey turtleneck sweater and is smiling at the camera.

Congratulations to our 2024 Recipient!

Desirae Munro was the 2024 recipient of the Maureen Woods Education Bursary.

Desirae has been working in Saskatchewan’s public libraries since 2019 and recently finished her MLIS with the iSchool at Syracuse University (Syracuse, NY). She sees the library as the heart of the community being served — fitting not only the “third space” concept, but personally sitting at the centre of her Ikigai (the Japanese concept of something that gives a person a sense of purpose, a reason for living). Desirae loves working with people and credits the great librarians she grew up with for the inspiration to finally pursue her dream of being a librarian when she “grows up” (although astronaut still sounds fun). She looks forward to continuing her work in library leadership roles that strengthen and build our communities.

This bursary (originally called the Saskatchewan Libraries Education Bursary) was initiated by the Multitype Library Board in 1999 in response to a concern about recruitment, which was becoming an increasing cross-sectoral library issue. There was an urgent need for recruitment, particularly in the rural and academic library settings. After forming a Public Relations Committee, led by Audrey Mark, the Multitype Library Board heard that recruitment and retention was an important issue in all library sectors.

Immediate action was needed, and work on the Saskatchewan Libraries Education Bursary began. The Multitype Library Board asked SLA to partner with them, and SLA agreed to administer the bursary. The Provincial Library and Literacy Office (a branch of the Ministry of Education) contributed funding to establish the bursary, and it became a reality in 2002.

The bursary is now supported through donations from SLA members and other supporters, as well as through revenues from SLA’s annual Saskatchewan Libraries Conference.

2002 Christina Petrisor
2003 Lorraine Salt
2004 David Bindle
2005 Kelly McIvor
2006 Christine Varnam
2007 Kendra Bender
2008 Shauna May
2009 Shannon Lucky
2010 Zhizhong (Jack) Chang
2012 Justina Datta
2013 Michael Putnam

2014 Lisa Worobec
2015 Carrie Prefontaine
2016 Catherine Hana
2017 Chasity Berast
2018 Elise Lehmann
2019 Amanda LePage
2020 Erin Placatka
2021 Oksana Moshynska
2022 Nicolle DeGagne
2023 Ruby Lindsay
2024 Desirae Munro