*NOMINATIONS SOUGHT FOR 2006 SAGE LIBRARY SUPPORT STAFF TRAVEL GRANTS*

The Association for Library Collections & Technical Services (ALCTS) is pleased to announce that nominations are being accepted for the 2006 Sage Library Support Staff Travel Grants. Underwritten by a generous contribution from Sage Publications, the Library Support Staff Travel Grants (six to be awarded) make it possible for library support staff to attend the American Library Association (ALA) Annual Conference to be held in the summer of 2006.

The travel grants cover the expense of attending the conference, including airfare, three nights lodging, and conference registration, up to $1,000 for each recipient. Library Support Staff who currently are employed in a full time support staff position, have a minimum of three years of experience in an area of technical services (acquisitions, cataloging, collection development/management, preservation of library materials, serials), and have not previously attended an ALA annual conference are eligible for the grants. Applicants need not be members of ALA or ALCTS in order to be eligible.

Successful candidates will be required to submit a brief report describing their experiences at the annual conference. This report will be published in the post-conference issue of the /ALCTS Newsletter Online/ and also will be shared with the sponsor. The ALCTS Membership Committee will provide mentoring for each recipient.

To apply, send a letter, brief resume and a short statement (ca. 250 words) outlining why attending the 2006 ALA Annual Conference would be beneficial. A letter of support from the applicant’s supervisor, indicating the employer’s support for the application also is required. Applications and the supervisor’s letter must be submitted in electronic format, with all parts emailed as Word attachments. Please send all documents to: Dale Swensen, Sage Jury. For questions, please contact Harriet Lightman, chair, Sage Jury.

*The deadline for nominations and supporting materials is December 1, 2005. *Successful candidates will be announced on the ALCTS Web site beginning February 1, 2006. The ALCTS office will coordinate travel arrangements and registration. For additional information on the grants, visit the ALCTS Web site at http://www.ala.org/alcts.

(Submitted by Rhonda Marker, Rutgers University Libraries and member of the award jury.)