Martha Preddie, a graduate student in library science at the UNC at Chapel Hill School of Information and Library Science (SILS), has won two prestigious national scholarships from the Medical Library Association (MLA) and the National Library of Medicine (NLM).

Preddie, who worked for eight years as an academic librarian at the University of the West Indies Medical School in Trinidad, will use the scholarships to complete her Masters of Library Science degree. The MLA/NLM Spectrum Scholarship, which carries a $5,000 annual award, supports minority students in their goals to become health sciences information professionals. The MLA Scholarship for Minority Students also carries a $5,000 award for students who wish to study health sciences librarianship.

Preddie attended an award ceremony held in May at the Medical Library Association conference in San Diego. The following month, she attended the American Library Association (ALA) annual conference in Toronto through a travel scholarship funded by SILS.

Each year, the MLA awards more than $40,000 in grants and scholarships to deserving students and practicing health sciences information professionals. The Medical Library Association and the National Library of Medicine jointly sponsor a scholarship through the American Library Association Spectrum Initiative Scholarship program. The two organizations make a total annual donation of $5,000 each year to support minority students in their goals to become health sciences information professionals.

The School of Information and Library Science is home to more than 300 students pursuing bachelor’s degrees in information science, master’s degrees in library science and information science, certificates of advanced studies, and doctoral degrees in information and library science. Its 20 full-time faculty members are recognized nationally for their teaching and scholarship. The school was ranked No. 1 in the nation by U.S. News & World Report in its most recent (2000) evaluation of library science schools.