<html>
<head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=Windows-1252">
<style type="text/css" style="display:none;"> P {margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;} </style>
</head>
<body dir="ltr">
<div style="font-family: Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
</div>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri, sans-serif;text-align:center">
</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt"><b>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE<o:p> </o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt"><b>Monday, January 11, 2021<o:p> </o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt"><b><o:p> </o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt"><b>CONTACT:<o:p> </o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt"><b>Farrell Howe</b><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt">Marketing & Communications Manager<o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt">Kalamazoo Public Library<o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt"><a href="mailto:farrellh@kpl.gov">farrellh@kpl.gov</a><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt">269-553-7879<o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt"><o:p><br>
</o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri, sans-serif;text-align:center">
<b>Kalamazoo Public Library Announces New Scholarship Fund to Promote the Training and Hiring of Librarians of Color<o:p> </o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri, sans-serif;text-align:center">
<b>Deadline to Apply: March 1, 2021<o:p> </o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri, sans-serif;text-align:center">
<b><o:p> </o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri, sans-serif">
Kalamazoo, MI–Monday, January 11, 2021. <a href="http://www.kpl.gov/">Kalamazoo Public Library</a> (KPL) is proud to announce a new scholarship for people of color interested in obtaining their master’s degree in library science, the
<a href="https://www.kpl.gov/about/support-the-library/amanda-green-scholarship/amanda-green-scholarship-fund/">
<i>Amanda Green Scholarship</i></a>.<o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri, sans-serif">
<o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri, sans-serif">
<span style="color:black;mso-themecolor:text1">According to recent studies conducted by the
</span><a href="https://www.dpeaflcio.org/factsheets/library-professionals-facts-and-figures">Department for Professional Employees</a><span style="color:black;mso-themecolor:text1">, in 2019, just 5.3% of librarians identified as Black or African American,
7.1 percent as Hispanic or Latino, and 3.5 percent as Asian-American or Pacific Islander. These numbers reveal an overall lack of diversity in librarianship.<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri, sans-serif">
<o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri, sans-serif">
In response, KPL created the <i>Amanda Green Scholarship</i>, named after a former library assistant in Teen Services at KPL, to promote the library profession to people of color. By providing monetary assistance to individuals seeking a master’s degree from
an accredited library science program, the library hopes to promote the training and hiring of more librarians of color in Kalamazoo and other communities. The scholarship is managed by the
<a href="http://www.kalfound.org/">Kalamazoo Community Foundation</a> and the deadline to apply is March 1, 2021. The first scholarship will be awarded for a student expected to attend a graduate-level library science program in fall 2021.<o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri, sans-serif">
<o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri, sans-serif">
<i><span style="color:red"><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></span><span style="color:black;mso-themecolor:text1">“</span>Libraries need a more diverse workforce to better represent the communities they serve, and KPL is eager to encourage a love for
librarianship and improve pathways for students of color,”</i> said KPL Director Ryan Wieber.
<i>“Our goal is to inspire future KPL librarians, but the hope is to attract more people of color to library work overall—wherever they may end up professionally.”</i>
<span style="color:red"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri, sans-serif">
<span style="color:red"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri, sans-serif">
<b><span style="color:black;mso-themecolor:text1">Eligibility Criteria<o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri, sans-serif">
<span style="color:black;mso-themecolor:text1"><span style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span>Individuals wishing to apply for the scholarship must fulfill the following qualifications:<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<ul style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-top:0in" type="disc">
<ul style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-top:0in" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri, sans-serif;color:black;mso-themecolor:text1;mso-list:l0 level2 lfo1">
Reside in Kalamazoo County or be a graduate of a Kalamazoo County High School.<o:p> </o:p></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri, sans-serif;color:black;mso-themecolor:text1;mso-list:l0 level2 lfo1">
Earned an undergraduate degree or will be earning one within a year of applying.<o:p> </o:p></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri, sans-serif;color:black;mso-themecolor:text1;mso-list:l0 level2 lfo1">
Enrolled in graduate school at least part time.<o:p> </o:p></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri, sans-serif;color:black;mso-themecolor:text1;mso-list:l0 level2 lfo1">
Attend a school that is accredited by the American Library Association in the field of Library and Information Sciences.
<o:p> </o:p></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri, sans-serif;color:black;mso-themecolor:text1;mso-list:l0 level2 lfo1">
Be a Person of Color.<o:p> </o:p></li></ul>
</ul>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri, sans-serif">
<b><span style="color:black;mso-themecolor:text1"><br>
Award Amount<o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri, sans-serif;margin-left:.5in">
<span style="color:black;mso-themecolor:text1">Applicant(s) will be awarded $5,000 per semester if attending as a full-time student and $2,500 per semester if attending as a part time student. The size of the award can be determined in part by the funds available.<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri, sans-serif">
<b><span style="color:black;mso-themecolor:text1"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri, sans-serif">
<b>For more information about eligibility and how to apply, visit Kalamazoo Community Foundation’s</b>
<a href="https://www.kalfound.org/Scholarships/HowtoApply/tabid/236/Default.aspx">
<b>website</b></a>. <b>The deadline to apply is March 1, 2021.<o:p> </o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri, sans-serif">
<o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri, sans-serif">
<b>Why KPL is Offering This Scholarship<o:p> </o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri, sans-serif;margin-left:.5in">
In 2016, the Kalamazoo Public Library board passed a <a href="https://www.kpl.gov/about/social-justice-resolution/">
resolution</a> that reaffirms the library’s commitment to, “address equal justice under the law, racial justice and institutional racism, social-economic divisions in our community and human dignity for all through our programs, services, policies, practices
and the empowerment of staff to serve our community with these values as priorities.” In addition, the library’s
<a href="https://www.kpl.gov/about/the-kpl-plan/">2019–22 strategic plan</a> establishes Advancing Equity and Inclusion as a priority with a goal of developing and maintaining an informed and compassionate library staff that reflects the makeup of our diverse
community. KPL is committed toward making this a reality!<o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri, sans-serif">
<o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri, sans-serif">
<b>About Amanda Green<o:p> </o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri, sans-serif;margin-left:.5in">
Amanda Green worked at KPL for 23 years (1988–2012.) Many of those years she spent in Teen Services working to give all teens the opportunity to improve their lives. Her passion and support of KPL’s mission to support and mentor teens has been passed on for
years.<o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri, sans-serif">
<o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri, sans-serif">
Those who are interested in donating to the <i>Amanda Green Scholarship</i> may do so
<a href="https://www.paypal.com/donate?token=EARWjaf1NZ90Eizb5pIrGUMlWHwngZLSP9hbdhz0MUJrwvmfiZ-k33d9Zok6eqdXYxPmAR8NAD2S2e74">
here</a>. <o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri, sans-serif">
<o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri, sans-serif;text-align:center">
####<o:p> </o:p></p>
<div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
<br>
</div>
<div id="Signature">
<div style="font-family:Calibri,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size:12pt; color:rgb(0,0,0)">
<br>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</body>
</html>