Awards and Scholarships

ARLIS/UK & Ireland – Global Majority Art Librarianship Scholarship

ARLIS UK & Ireland (The Art Libraries Society) are pleased to open applications to the ‘fees only’ scholarship for an individual undertaking a UK accredited Library, Information, or Archive Studies postgraduate qualification as a small first step towards addressing the ongoing underrepresentation of Black library workers and library workers of colour within art librarianship. The scholarship is now in its second year and will be awarded annually (subject to financial stability), with details and the application form made available from the ARLIS UK & Ireland website.

We acknowledge that art librarianship in the UK and Ireland continues to be overwhelmingly white. The 2015 UK information sector workforce survey found the profession to be 96.7% white. This reinforces the urgency and importance of steps to increase global majority access to qualifications which often remain a prerequisite for entry to the profession and development to senior roles. While we do not uncritically support the need for a qualification to perform valuable work in libraries, we do believe that university fees are a significant barrier to entry for many. The scholarship is a key recommendation of the ARLIS Equity Steering Group, whose work we are grateful for.

We welcome applicants from Black, Asian or minority ethnic / Global Majority backgrounds. Students applying to any UK postgraduate (MA, MSc, PgDip, PgCert) course accredited by CILIP are eligible, but courses which include modules or studies relevant to art librarianship (such as placements at a member institution) may strengthen an application. Students applying for full-time, or part-time or modular courses are eligible, as are distance learning options. The successful applicant should be eligible for Home fees. Fees will be paid directly to the university.

Applications for the 2024/25 academic year will be advertised on 1 May 2024 with a deadline of the 2 June 2024, with the successful applicant being notified no later than the beginning of July 2024.

ARLIS Research Awards

The ARLIS UK & Ireland Research Awards are made possible by the generosity of an anonymous donor and have been established to support the research activities of librarians, archivists and curators in the art, architecture and design documentation sector, and to open research opportunities to individuals from groups currently underrepresented. The awards are made annually, with details and the application form made available from the ARLIS UK & Ireland website.

The award may be used for any purpose related to the research into the documentation of art, art librarianship or archival practice and may include travel within or outside the UK and Ireland, event attendance, and visits to libraries, collections and institutions (excluding events organised by ARLIS UK & Ireland itself).

Value: two awards of £1000 each