F.O.L.K. Scholarships
We provide financial assistance to encourage qualified candidates to fill available positions in the Hawaii libraries and related fields.
Friends of the Libraries, Kona offers scholarships to individuals pursuing a Master’s degree in Library Science at the University of Hawai`i or who are Hawai`i residents enrolled in an American Library Association accredited on-line Master in Library and Information Science program. Applications are available online and are accepted annually February through the end of March. Scholarships are awarded each year in April.
2023 F.O.L.K. Scholarship Winners
Friends of the Libraries, Kona MLIS Scholarship
Brianne Sau Mei Imada is the winner of this year’s $4,000 Kona MLIS scholarship!
Brianne is a student at the University of Hawaii at Manoa.
“I am excited to hone my information skills to support children, college students, or the public depending on what setting library I end up in. My ultimate goal is to develop best practices that build on my social work experience to create safe, accessible, and loving spaces for everyone in our communities to connect with the information they need to feel empowered.”
“[My] experiences led me to view librarianship as a field of curious and caring individuals who are passionate about serving their communities through providing access to quality information and resources. The librarians I spoke with were candid about the challenges of the job too, but I was drawn to supporting people in the information-seeking aspects of their life as compared to the wraparound support I currently provide.”
Arne & Ruth Werchick MLIS Scholarship
Kerri Glickstein is the winner of this year’s $6,000 Arne & Ruth Werchick MLIS scholarship!
Kerri is a student at the University of Hawaii at Manoa and a mother of two. She has been a Lanai High & Elementary School Music Teacher since 2008 and she teaches band and ʻukulele in the middle and high school grades.
“Lānaʻi has been without a librarian, and this is the role I hope to fill. This scholarship will give me the opportunity to continue pursuing the MLIS degree, and become eligible to become a qualified and certified librarian for the island of Lānaʻi.”
“I am pursuing a career in librarianship as a way to serve the Lānaʻi community that I have grown to love. I see librarianship as a fulfilling career that can create a positive influence for all residents of Lānaʻi, and not just the ones in my classroom. I see the library as a safe space for community members of all ages, and therefore a place where I will be able to work with and see anyone who stops into the library.”
Friends of the Libraries Kona want to thank Arne and Ruth Werchick for their generosity in establishing this scholarship to support our library community.