Sydney Keith Selected as the 2024 Mary V. Gaver Scholarship Recipient

The American Library Association (ALA) is pleased to announce the selection of Sydney Keith of Smithville, Missouri as the 2024 recipient of the Mary V. Gaver Scholarship.

The $3,000 scholarship was established to honor the memory of a past ALA president and Rutgers University professor, who made many contributions to library youth services. The scholarship is awarded to a person pursuing a master's degree in library and information studies, with a specialty in youth services.

Currently, Keith works as a library and media paraprofessional at Guadalupe Centers Elementary School in Kansas City, Missouri. Her experiences in this role have ignited her passion for libraries and desire to work with youth ─cementing her goal of becoming an elementary school library media specialist. Keith says, “The opportunity to build meaningful relationships with students while fostering a passion for reading and learning has been profoundly fulfilling.”

Keith’s enthusiasm for library service and dedication to working with youth has been demonstrated in a variety of ways. One reference commented that, “She has tirelessly worked with students at varying levels and abilities, and consistently puts an assiduous effort into making literacy and library fundamentals accessible to everyone. There is truly no length that she will not go to in order to ensure our students have rich and engaging experiences. Her wide breadth of experience and education are a constant boon to our library; she has left an undeniable mark on our program. I am continually inspired by her work ethic, passion, and desire to help our library program evolve and grow.“

Keith’s commitment to providing excellent service to the library community is apparent to her colleagues as well. Another reference commented that, “The fact that she chose to spend her time doing outreach work to the most vulnerable families in our community demonstrates her commitment to fostering equity of access to library resources for all. She is a leader and an advocate with the ability to inspire others in a way that will allow her to make a difference to the library profession.”

Keith attends the University of Missouri.

For information on the ALA Scholarship program, visit our scholarship page.

The ALA Office for Human Resource Development and Recruitment (HRDR) manages the ALA Scholarship Clearinghouse.