Sponsored by The Mississippi Library Association
The Peggy May/MLA Scholarship is designed to provide financial assistance for the education of individuals planning to be professional librarians, information specialists, or media specialists in academic, public, school or special libraries. The scholarship award of $1000 will be made each spring to a qualified graduate student currently enrolled or officially admitted in the School of Library and Information Science at The University of Southern Mississippi. Both full-time and part-time students are eligible. Criteria for the scholarship include academic excellence, leadership capabilities, and an evidence of commitment to a career in the field of library and information science in the state of Mississippi. Previous experience or activity in the library field is a bonus but not necessary to be considered for the award. The Peggy May Scholarship endowment was established after her death to honor her dedication to librarianship and support her commitment to recruit talented individuals to the profession.
Eligibility Requirements:
- Applicant must be a resident of Mississippi
- Applicant must be an undergraduate/graduate student enrolled or officially admitted in the School of Library and Information Science USM
- An applicant may have full or part-time status
Donate to the fund:
The Association continually seeks to increase the endowment so the scholarship award may better address the growing costs of a graduate education in library science. Contributions to the scholarship fund by MLA members or other interested individuals and corporations, are tax deductible. You can help continue the Peggy May legacy in three different ways:
- Make a personal donation. To insure that your tax-deductible contribution is properly recorded, please use the donation form.
- Recognize someone special with a designated donation. Does someone special to you or your library need to be recognized? Use the Recognition/donation form to insure that acknowledgements are sent to the appropriate people.
- Secure items for the Silent Auction. The annual silent auction held during the MLA annual conference has been, by far, our most popular fundraiser. The success of the auction is due to the interesting and desirable items that folks can’t resist bidding on. We are indebted to those of you who have contributed items for the bidding. We need you to continue to bring items that you create, purchase, or secure through donations from local sources. Some vendors request a receipt for their donated item so we’ve created one that you can photocopy.
Winners:
- 2025: Emily Ladner
- 2024: Kimberly Bonner
- 2023: Erica Will
- 2022:Lara Taylor
- 2021: Anita Winger
- 2020: Amanda Osborne
- 2019: Rachel Long
- 2018: Katherine Dutro
- 2017: Alex Brower
- 2016: Lakesha Smith
- 2015: Rebecca Houston
- 2014: Dee Hare
- 2013: Phillip Carter
- 2012: Jaclyn Lewis
- 2010: Antoinette Giamalva
- 2007: Sybyl Robinson
- 2006: Natalie Brooke Roberts
- 2005: William Ryan Roy
- 2004: Jennifer Wann
- 2003: Andrea Kyzar
- 2002: Jacqueline Y. Quinn
- 2001: Sheila A. Cork
- 2000: Rose Johnson Lockett
- 1999: Andrew Kevin Sharp
- 1998: Mantra Henderson
- 1997: Mary H. Hamilton
- 1996: Patricia (Patty) Scally Furr
- 1994: Ramona S. Hanks
- 1993: Linda Lewis
- 1992: Yolanda Simpson