Two new scholarships have been announced by the Burnaby Public Library Board, aimed at strengthening diversity in the library community.
The Picard Trust Awards will be open to Burnaby residents and current Burnaby Public Library employees who are Indigenous, Black or people of colour and are pursuing a master’s degree in a library and information studies program.
Those who apply must be already accepted into a Canadian library school program. Applications will be accepted in February each year, the board says.
“We want to encourage and support people who are Indigenous, Black or people of colour in pursuing librarianship,” library board co-chair Sarah Bartnik said in a news release.
“Burnaby is a diverse city. We want Burnaby residents to see themselves reflected in our libraries, whether that’s through the books on the shelves, the programs we offer, or the people who answer their questions.”
Applications for 2022 will be accepted until March 16, 2022.
“We are excited to be able to offer these awards to Burnaby residents," library board co-chair Mandy Yang added in the release.
"We know that increasing the diversity of librarians at BPL and in the broader library community will lead to stronger library services that meet the needs of more residents.”
