MCLS is offering up to 20 scholarships to MCLS member libraries in Indiana to send staff to the Harwood/ALA Public Innovators Lab, October 14-16, 2015 in Detroit, Michigan.

These funds are being made available through a grant program established by the MCLS Board of Trustees from the proceeds of the sale of the former INCOLSA building. $50,000 per year for the next five years will be made available on July 1 of each year. MCLS will announce future grant opportunities as funds become available.

The Program

The Harwood Public Innovators Lab is a 2.5 day experience to help you and your organization learn what it means to turn outward – to use the community, not your conference room, as your reference point for choices and action.

MCLS has been using the tools of the Harwood Institute and sharing them with libraries since 2013. We are excited to be able to support training for a cohort of Indiana librarians.

Funding Eligibility

• Applicants must work in an Indiana library that is an MCLS member. Non-member libraries may fill out an MCLS membership application to become eligible.
• Applicants may be from any type of library; academic, public, school, institutional or special.
• A maximum of 2 persons per library will be awarded.
• Libraries that are awarded a scholarship for one attendee to the lab will receive $2,000, and those awarded for two attendees will receive $3,500 to cover tuition and partial expenses. (Tuition for the Public Innovators Lab is $1,495/person and $995 for additional persons from the same institution. Libraries can expect additional expenses to include travel to Detroit, 3 nights lodging at the Doubletree Hilton at $129/night, meals, parking and incidentals.) Hotel reservations are available now.

Deadlines

• Interested libraries must complete an application form by midnight, July 31, 2015.
• We will send notification and mail a check to scholarship recipients (payable to the library) by August 14, 2015.
• Recipients will need to register for the Lab by September 10, 2015, and will need to make their own hotel reservations as early as feasible after award notification.

The Application

• A link to the downloadable application is available in MSWord on the Indiana Libraries Harwood Lab Scholarships page.
• Applications should be emailed to Michelle Bradley, Community Engagement Librarian at bradleym@mcls.org.

Questions

Questions regarding the scholarship or the Public Innovators Lab for Libraries should be sent to Michelle Bradley, MCLS Community Engagement Librarian, at bradleym@mcls.org, or call her at 800-530-9019 ext. 125.