The National Library and Information System Authority (NALIS) announces the award of eighteen scholarships to members of staff to pursue the Bachelor of Science Degree in Library and Information Science via distance learning at Aberystwyth University, Wales. All eighteen awardees, along with Esahack Mohammed, scholarship mentor and former Director, Educational Library Services Division, NALIS travelled to Wales for the one week orientation and study school during the period June 13 to June 18, 2009.
The Aberystwyth University is considered to be one of the most prestigious schools offering the on-line Bachelor of Library and Information Science Degree. The scholarships will cover the cost of tuition, books and travel to Aberystwyth University for the study school once a year. The programme’s duration is three years.
The awardees were chosen from a pool of thirty-seven applicants and selection was based on an interview. Scholarship recipients are Enric Payson, Sharlene Hosein, Michelle Forbes, Kurt Lalla, Christine Rambajan, Shara Rasmine-Seenath, Merlin Beedaise-Gangoo, Ashelle Romney, Dahlia Remy-Raymond, Leslie Regis, Salisha Salim, Cassandra Gibbs, Sheryl Valentine, Ruthlyn Wills, Phillip Payne, Monique Archer, Stacy Rouse and Lynda Ann Ramlal.
Steps are also being taken to award scholarships at the postgraduate level to eligible employees to pursue the on-line masters in Library and Information Science. Additional scholarships in Library and Information Science will be awarded to nationals of Trinidad and Tobago for full time study at the University of the West Indies (Mona) and universities in the United States of America, Canada and the United Kingdom.
The award of these scholarships is in an effort to fill the number of vacancies for professional librarians that currently exist in NALIS.