Do you want to attend a professional conference or workshop, or a class that will help you gain that particular skill that will help you perform your job even better, but your organization just doesn’t have the money to send you? Metronet can help! Metronet offers two kinds of scholarships to members who wish to attend professional development events/training. See below for details.
Staff who are members of a Metronet library may apply for a scholarship that improves their ability to do the activities of their job or that would allow an individual to participate in professional engagement, such as serving on a state or national professional library association committee.
First-time scholarship applicants also receive preference. You can view the membership list on the Metronet website to see if your institution is a member: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1qCruNV7V1mQEq8EKL4gdgEMmNYjetYFSZQHK9-mg7g0/edit?usp=sharing
Before you apply, read the revised and updated Metronet Continuing Education Scholarship Policy. This policy covers both the general scholarships and the Steltzner Scholarship. https://drive.google.com/file/
Continuing Education Scholarships
Metronet offers scholarships in two categories: general scholarships and the Lars Steltzner scholarship.
Eligibility
- General Scholarships Eligibility: You must be employed in a Minnesota library that is a member of Metronet to receive a scholarship. You can view the membership list on the Metronet website to see if your institution is a member. Staff at all levels in school, public, academic, & special libraries are eligible. Number of scholarships awarded annually varies on the Metronet budget.
- Steltzner Eligibility: The Steltzner Scholarship is awarded to one person annually. To be considered for the Steltzner scholarship, an individual must meet these criteria:
- Have been in the library profession for five or fewer years
- Work in a Metronet member library
- Not have received a Metronet scholarship previously
- General scholarship applicants may only receive one scholarship every other fiscal year. Metronet’s fiscal year runs July 1-June 30. Individuals may receive a Steltzner Scholarship only one time in their career.
Individuals may apply for up to:
- $1,000 for an in-state or regional event (IA, WI, Dakotas)
- $1,500 for a national event or an event out of region (eg, AASL/ACRL/PLA national conferences, other state conferences, ALA annual or winter conferences held outside Minnesota).
- Steltzner Scholarship applicants may apply for up to $2,000 (see above for Steltzner Scholarship eligibility requirements.)
Scholarship applications must be received 4 weeks prior to the Metronet Board meeting that precedes the event for which the funds are requested. Scholarships will not be awarded retroactively. The Board meeting schedule can be found here.
Eligible expenses are explained in the Metronet Continuing Education Scholarship Policy.
Responsibilities of the Recipient
After the award, these are the requirements for recipients:
- Recipients will submit a brief but informative article about the event they attended. The article should include a review of the event and/or highlights of what was learned and how it will be useful on the job. The article is subject to editing by Metronet staff and may be published on the Metronet web site.
- Report may be submitted on the report form on the Metronet website or article must be sent via email to [email protected].
- Receipts and the completed reimbursement form are required for all expenses. Receipts and the form may be mailed or scanned and emailed. Send scanned receipts to [email protected]
- Report & reimbursement forms must be submitted no later than 30 days after the event. If these are not received by the deadline, no reimbursement will be made.
Refer all questions to [email protected] and put Continuing Education Scholarship in the subject line.
Applications must be on the form provided below. Be sure to complete both sections of the form and sign it (typing your name is fine).
Application Form for FY25: https://forms.gle/
Recipients must submit a report of their experience and receipts for the event using this form no later than 30 days after the event.
Report Form for FY24: https://forms.gle/X88Reeq2VkGy4tHo8
Report Form for FY25: https://forms.gle/
Scholarship applications must be received 8 weeks prior to the next Metronet Board meeting to be funded.
Lars Steltzner Scholarship
The Metronet Board has created a scholarship for library staff in the seven-county metro area in honor of Lars Steltzner who passed away in the summer of 2008. Lars was a true believer in libraries of all types and believed that if one library is strengthened, all are stronger. He was a great supporter of media specialists and librarians just beginning their careers and was always generous with his time and knowledge. His service on the Metronet Governing Board was greatly appreciated.
Click here to read about events people attended with the help of a Metronet CE Scholarship!
If you have questions or need assistance, please contact the Metronet office at [email protected].