Student receives Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Scholarship

UNC at Chapel Hill’s School of Information and Library Science (SILS) has awarded a Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Scholarship Grant to Niamh McGuigan, a new student this fall to the master of library science program.

“My interest in a library career began in high school when I worked in the local public library,” McGuigan said. “The concept of library came alive to me here, and I saw that this is a dynamic field where there are difficult and important decisions to be made that can have a significant impact on a community.”

The grant benefits students who are dedicated to the improvement of public library service. In selecting students to receive the grant, first priority is given to those committed to serving a North Carolina public library for at least one year after graduation. The grant has provided a $3,000 scholarship for one semester to two full-time students. The first student to receive the award was Johanna Powers, a graduate student in library science.

“We are grateful to the foundation for providing this support to students who are interested in library science careers,” said SILS Dean Joanne Gard Marshall. “This helps us attract the best and brightest to the field, which ultimately will improve citizen access to information.”

For more information on these scholarships, contact Student Services Manager Lucia Zonn at
919-962-8366 or info@ils.unc.edu.