Florida Library Association Scholarships

The Florida Library Association (FLA) Awards & Honors Committee is pleased to announce that the application period for the 2026 FLA Scholarships is now open, closing on Friday, January 30, 2026, The scholarships will be awarded in the spring of 2026, and scholarship recipients will be recognized at the 2026 Annual Conference at the Hilton Doubletree Universal Orlando on Friday, May 15.

Available Scholarships:

Two (2) FLA Library & Information Science graduate scholarships ($1,000 each):

o      The Kimberly L. Amos-Tata Florida State University iSchool Scholarship

o      The Bernadette Storck University of South Florida Scholarship

o      We will potentially offer a third scholarship, if the vendor sponsorship for the Annual FLA conference is sold. If it is not sold, this third scholarship will not be available. All applicants to the FSU or USF will be considered for this vendor-sponsored scholarship unless the applicant has opted out of consideration on the application form.

Eligibility Requirements

Individuals who are graduating in May 2026 are not eligible due to the fact that payment is made to the graduate school for the following semester.

To apply, all scholarship recipients must meet the following requirements:

• Be a Florida resident
• Have a current active membership in the FLA
  • Applicants must include verification of membership as part of the application packet. For proof of membership, contact FLA at executivedirector@flalib.org.
• Have some work or volunteer experience in a Florida library
• Have received admittance to the FSU or USF library/information graduate degree program

If awarded a scholarship, applicant must agree to the following requirements:

• Commit to serving on an FLA committee during the year following graduation 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How to Apply

Deadline for submission of the application packet is FRIDAY, JANUARY 30, 2026.

 A Gmail account is now required to submit an application. If you don’t have one yet, you’ll need to create a Gmail address before completing the form.

Applications received by 11:59 PM EST on Thursday, January 22, 2026, will be permitted to make corrections to the application package should deficiencies or omissions be identified by the Scholarships Subcommittee. Applicants submitting after January 23 will not have the privilege of making corrections or supplementing the application with missing information.

Complete application packets should be submitted online here.  All supporting documents must be uploaded as individual PDF attachments to the online form.

Paper submissions will not be accepted.

Essays

There are two essay questions as part of the application. Each should be answered individually and be 300-500 words in length. You will be able to type/paste them into the application OR upload them as PDF attachments to the application.

• Why are you entering librarianship?
• What are your career goals with respect to Florida libraries?

Letters of Recommendation

Submit one professional recommendation. ThIs letter may be from a present or past supervisor, colleague, professor, or another person who can speak to your professional abilities. The letter must be signed by the recommender and should address all of the following points:

• Length of time they have known you
• Capacity in which they have known you (i.e., supervisor, co-worker)
• Their assessment of your potential as a library professional
• Your potential to graduate from the library/information graduate program

Additional Required Documents

• Current resume
• Proof of enrollment (Letter of acceptance or current transcript)
• Proof of current FLA membership (For proof of membership contact executivedirector@flalib.org)

Please direct questions regarding the application process, to Kayla Kuni, FLA Scholarships Subcommittee Chair, kayla.kuni727@gmail.com.

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