Samuel Rothstein Award

Samuel Rothstein Award

A $1,000 award has been established to honour Dr. Samuel Rothstein (BA 39, MA 40, LLD 04) for a graduate student at the iSchool. Dr. Rothstein was the first Director of UBC iSchool who helped the School open the doors in 1961. He led with great imagination, innovation, and foresight. The award is offered to a student who brings the same innovative spirit to their time at the iSchool.

Number: 1

Eligibility

  • Graduating student in an iSchool program
  • Open to both domestic and international students

Indicators

  • Brings innovative spirit to their time at the iSchool

Ronald Jobe Children’s Literature Scholarship

UBC iSchool has established the Ronald Jobe Children’s Literature Scholarship for students in the Master of Arts in Children’s Literature Program.

Dr. Jobe, Professor Emeritus of the Language and Literacy Department, Faculty of Education, was deeply involved in this interdisciplinary children’s literature program jointly offered by the iSchool, LLED, the English Department and the Creative Writing Program. Dr. Jobe established the Children’s Literature Roundtables across Canada , co-ordinated the annual Serendipity conference of the Vancouver Children’s Literature Roundtable, and spent years promoting Canadian children’s literature worldwide, through organizations such as the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY), of which he was the first non-European President.

Number: 1-2

Eligibility

  • Enrolled in the Master of Arts in Children’s Literature program who has completed at least 12 credits
  • Open to both domestic and international students

Application procedure

  • Student application required by letter to the Director

Applications are adjudicated by a committee of faculty in the MA(CL) program, in consultation with the iSchool and the Faculty of Graduate Studies.

Indicators

  • Academic achievement in courses in literature for children and young adults, taken after enrolling in the Master of Arts in Children’s Literature Program.
  • Contributions to the authorship, scholarship, promotion and dissemination of literature for children.

Terry Eastwood iSchool Award

One award of $1,000 is offered to a student upon completion of the first year Master of Archival Studies Program or Dual MAS/MLIS program in the iSchool who demonstrates scholarly excellence and leadership promise.

Professor Terry Eastwood was the first professor hired to teach in the Master of Archival Studies Program and served as Chair of the Program from 1981 until June 2000. As Interim Director, Chair of Program, teacher and mentor he was a tireless advocate of archival education and as such has been recognized nationally and internationally. Recommendations are made by iSchool in consultation with the Faculty of Graduate Studies.

Number: 1

Eligibility

  • Completion of the first academic year of the MAS or Dual program
  • Finishing first year

Indicators

  • Demonstrated scholarly excellence and leadership promise in the first academic year of MAS or Dual program.

James Fraser Memorial Prize

A prize has been made available by the Toronto Area Archivists Group Education Foundation in honour of James Fraser.

Mr. Fraser was an archivist in New Brunswick and Toronto who died while he was a student in the UBC Master of Archival Studies program. The award is made to a top-ranking student in the first year in the MAS program at the iSchool.

Number: 1

Eligibility

  • Continuing in MAS / Dual program (must be registering for courses in next academic year)

 Indicators

  • Top ranking student in the first year of MAS program

Application procedure

Award is given to the MAS or Dual MAS/LIS student with the highest GPA in the first academic year

Dorothy Blakey Smith Memorial Scholarship

A scholarship has been established by family, friends, and colleagues of Dorothy Blakey Smith. The award is made to an outstanding student entering the second year of the Master of Archival Studies Program, on the recommendation of the iSchool.

Number: 1

Eligibility

  • Continuing in MAS program (must be registering for courses in next academic year)
  • Entering second year

Indicators

  • Academic achievement
  • Contributions to the program in Archival Studies

UBC Library, Archival and Information Studies Alumni Lois M. Bewley Scholarship

A scholarship honouring Lois M. Bewley’s devotion to teaching and public service is awarded on the recommendation of UBC iSchool to a student with previous public library experience who is entering the second year of the Master of Library and Information Studies program and plans a public librarianship career.

Number: 1

Eligibility

  • Continuing in MLIS program (must be registering in courses in next academic year)
  • Entering second year

Indicators

  • Previous public library experience
  • Plans a public librarianship career

Margaret Ferguson Smith Memorial Scholarship

This scholarship was established in memory of UBC alumna Margaret Fergusson Smith (BA 1937) by her husband, UBC alumnus Donald S. Smith (B.A. 1931, B.A.Sc. 1932, M.A.Sc. 1933) and their children. It is awarded each year to a student enrolled in the Master of Library and Information Studies Program.

Number: 1

Eligibility

  • Continuing in MLIS program

Indicators

  • Academic achievement
  • Promise of success in librarianship

Edyth Webster Scholarship in Library and Information Studies

A scholarship has been endowed by Edythe Webster for a student in the Master of Library and Information Studies program. This award is made on the recommendation of the iSchool in consultation with the Faculty of Graduate Studies.

Number: 1

Eligibility

  • A student in the MLIS program

 Indicators

  • Preference may be given to a mature student

Amy Hutcheson Scholarships in Library Service for Children

Two scholarships, the gift of a bequest of Amy Hutcheson (Children’s Librarian and Chief Librarian of the New Westminster Public Library, 1942 – 1973), are awarded on the recommendation of UBC iSchool to two students who are entering the second year of the M.L.I.S. program. The scholarships are awarded on the basis of specializing in children’s and young adult librarianship.

Number: 2

Eligibility

  • Continuing in MLIS program

Indicators

  • Academic achievement
  • A detailed outline of the planned program of study in children’s and young adult services and literature courses.
  • Expressed commitment to a career in children’s and young adult services
  • An expressed commitment to take a concentration of 12 or more credits in children’s and young adult services and literature in the MLIS program, chosen in consultation with the student’s advisor

The Piternick Research Award for the 2024-25 funding cycle

The Piternick Research Award was endowed by family and friends in honour of Anne and George Piternick.

Professors Anne and George Piternick taught at the School for a combined total of 48 years during which they provided, through their teaching and personal research projects, a stimulating scholarly atmosphere for library and information science research. The award will be given annually to an iSchool doctoral student to support their research.

Guidelines and procedures

  1. Students must address their application to the Chair of Doctoral Studies (Dr. Lisa Nathan); completed applications should be submitted to the iSchool Program Assistant (ischool.program@ubc.ca).
  2. Faculty members of the Doctoral Studies Committee will adjudicate the applications.
  3. The application for the award should include a cover letter.
  4. The application must include:
    • Title of the research project.
    • A research proposal outlining the objectives of the project and methodology (maximum of 1 page).
    • Budget, with a detailed rationale for expenses.
    • Timeline, with respect to the student’s program, and when the requested funds will be spent.
  5. It is anticipated that the award will cover such research expenses as (but not limited to) consulting resources or experts in the research area, participating in a doctoral consortium, interviewing research subjects, visiting collections, programming expenses, or software for data analysis, and presenting research results in a poster or paper. Any travel related requests should reflect UBC policies, including UBC’s Climate Emergency statement and the iSchool’s climate crisis statement.
  6. The Committee reserves the right to split the award into multiple awards or not to give the award in an individual year.
  7. The amount of the award will be advanced to the recipient; the advance must be cleared, with receipts for expenses, within 12 months.
  8. Recipients of the award must present to the Doctoral Studies Committee a short follow-up report, detailing how the funds were spent (no receipts needed) and the benefits realized within a year of receipt of the award; this should be emailed to the iSchool Admin Manager (ischool.admin@ubc.ca).

Deadline: January 13, 2025

Notification: Approximate timeline for announcement of award is the week of February 17, 2025.