The University of Kansas Libraries

KU student Stuart Roberts is the inaugural recipient of a new scholarship designed to give students a glimpse into the world of librarianship.

by Rebecca Smith

The Sanders Library Scholars Fund was established by former library dean, Bill Crowe, and by his late wife, Nancy Sanders, in memory of Nancy's parents, R.W. and Dorothy J. Sanders. The fund provides graduate or undergraduate scholarships for students on the Lawrence campus who are working with a librarian mentor in the KU Libraries.

"It is a great honor," said Roberts. "I feel fortunate to be awarded this generous support which has been made possible by gifts from Bill Crowe and Nancy Sanders and many others. It is an exciting opportunity to work with and learn from my mentor, Beth Whittaker; I have learned a great deal about librarianship and the process of editing and publishing a scholarly journal in the field."
Crowe said the fund would serve to give students of all backgrounds and interests firsthand experience in the field of librarianship.

"There are often a lot of misconceptions as to what librarianship entails," said Crowe. "This scholarship is meant to expose selected students to some of the interesting roles of librarians, including many that take place behind the scenes."

Roberts, a native of Lawrence, is pursuing an undergraduate degree in English and classics. The scholarship helps to support Roberts in a student assistant position; he is working as editorial assistant to Beth Whittaker, head of the Kenneth Spencer Research Library. Whittaker is the is editor of RBM: A Journal of Rare Books, Manuscripts, and Cultural Heritage.

The announcement came in October 2010, during a celebration of Bill Crowe's career on the occasion of his retirement from KU. Contributions may be made to the Sanders Library Scholars Fund in care of KU Endowment.

From Bibliophlie Spring 2011 (view PDF | return to Bibliophile home)