Continuing
Education Scholarship Policy
The Outagamie Waupaca Library System (OWLS) will make continuing education
scholarships
available to member library staff and trustees when funds for this purpose
have been budgeted by the OWLS Board of Trustees.
- Any employee or trustee of an OWLS member library may apply for a scholarship.
- Scholarships can be used to meet the expenses
associated with meetings, workshops,
courses, conferences, or other activities which promote professional growth. - The system will award scholarships on a matching basis. The local library
board or the
individual is expected to assume a portion of the expense. In circumstances of special need
OWLS may forfeit part or all of the match. - In recognition of different
continuing education needs, a portion of the scholarship funds
available each year will be designated for the use of the resource library staff and trustees. - OWLS scholarship funds will not ordinarily be available
to provide substantial support for a
degree program. - The system strongly encourages local libraries to pay
for the courses required for a
director’s certification or recertification. If this presents a financial hardship for the library,
OWLS will consider providing scholarship assistance for such courses. - Applicants must submit a brief written application describing the activity
and expected
expenses to OWLS prior to the scheduled activity. - OWLS Director or his/her designee will make the decision concerning each application.
- Recipients
of scholarships should submit a final statement of expenses to OWLS after
attending the activity; payment will be authorized by the OWLS Board at its next scheduled
meeting. - Recipients of scholarships may be required to submit evidence
of successful completion of
the activity before receiving payment. - Recipients of scholarships agree
to share information from their continuing education
experiences with their colleagues and with other system librarians and trustees. - Prepayment of scholarship funds is not ordinarily possible.
- An annual
report on the disposition of continuing education scholarship funds shall
be
presented to the OWLS Board. This report shall include a list of recipients, the activities
they attended, and the amount of assistance they received from OWLS.
Adopted January 1989
Revised February 1999
Revised July 21, 2005
Supporting public libraries in Outagamie and Waupaca counties