Scholarship Committee
Purpose
To provide support to Association members who seek to advance their education in the field of librarianship.
About the Scholarship Committee
The Scholarship Committee is responsible for determining the recipients of the Virginia Library Association scholarships for Masters in Library Science graduate students that show a commitment to librarianship in the state of Virginia.
 
Get Involved
The Scholarship Committee is currently full and will begin recruiting new members in November 2026.
Virtual or in-person: All meetings are held virtually via Zoom.
Time commitment: General members can expect to spend 12-16 hours reviewing scholarship applications, and members can expect to attend 2-3 short, 30 minute meetings each spring.
Recruiting period: New members are recruited in November and December of each year.
Active time: General members are most active from February through April, as this is our scholarship application review window. Committee leadership (Chair, Vice-Chair, and Treasurer) is active on a monthly basis, with increased duties before and during the VLA Annual Meeting, during committee recruitment, and during the scholarship review season.
Busiest time of the year: Mid-spring is the busiest season, as we are evaluating each application.
Committee communication platforms: Basecamp, email, Zoom.
Conference attendance: Conference attendance is required by those in leadership roles (Chair, Vice-Chair, and Treasurer), but general members can volunteer to assist with fundraising at the conference.
Conference presentation: The Chair is responsible for presenting awards to the scholarship winners.
Additional information: Persons selected should be prepared to evaluate 20-30 scholarship applications within a 3-4 week window. The committee needs to actively fundraise for the scholarships, so committee members may be asked to share out fundraising details to their local communities or contacts.
About the 2026 Scholarship Committee Chair
Coming soon!
About the 2026 Scholarship Committee Advisory Past Chair
 Kathryn Shenk is a Science & Math Librarian at James Madison University (JMU) Libraries. Kathryn holds a Master of Science in Library Science from the University of Kentucky, where she focused on academic librarianship. Kathryn has been involved with the Scholarship Committee since 2021, and has served in various roles, from general member to Chair. Learn more.
One piece of advice for Scholarship Committee members:
With each application, there is a real student trying to make a difference in their community. Never lose sight of the impact that the Scholarship Committee can have on someone’s academic journey.
2026 Scholarship Committee Roster
Chair:
Christopher Magee, George Mason University
Leadership:
Co-Chair: Pearl Derlaga, York County Public Library
Advisory Past Chair: Kathryn Shenk, James Madison University
Treasurer: Nideria Brown, Henrico County Public Library
Members:
Meghan Davitt, Shenandoah University (January 2025 to December 2026)
Janice Hummel, Loudoun County Public Library (January 2025 to December 2026)
Teralee ElBasri, Chesterfield County Public Library (January 2025 to December 2026)
Jane Blue, Northumberland Public Library (January 2025 to December 2026)
Sarah Johnson, Campbell County Public Library (January 2023 to December 2025)
Megan Mulvey, Suffolk Public Library (January 2025 to December 2026)
Mary Sullivan, Virginia Tech University Libraries (January 2025 to December 2026)
Scholarship Committee News and Updates
Congratulations to the 2025 scholarship recipients Hannah Ayers, Katie Treichler, Katherine Zinn for their academic excellence and dedication to librarianship in Virginia.
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