<div dir="ltr"><b style="color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:Roboto,RobotoDraft,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14.3px">Just 12 days left to collect your materials and nominate yourself or someone else!</b><p class="gmail-m_-9042445885708348384paragraph" style="color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:Roboto,RobotoDraft,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14.3px;vertical-align:baseline"><u></u></p><p class="gmail-m_-9042445885708348384paragraph" style="color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:Roboto,RobotoDraft,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14.3px;vertical-align:baseline">Could you use $1,500 to help pay for attending ALA? Do you have five or fewer years professional experience with continuing resources? Do you know someone else new to the field who's short of conference travel funds? Submit a nomination for the First Steps Award!<u></u><u></u><u></u><u></u></p><p class="gmail-m_-9042445885708348384paragraph" style="color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:Roboto,RobotoDraft,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14.3px;vertical-align:baseline"><span class="gmail-m_-9042445885708348384normaltextrun">The ALCTS Continuing Resources Section presents the award, a Wiley Professional Development Grant. The award provides librarians who are new to the serials field with the opportunity to broaden their perspectives and encourages professional development and participation at American Library Association (ALA) conferences and Continuing Resources Section activities.  </span><span class="gmail-m_-9042445885708348384eop"> </span><u></u><u></u><u></u><u></u></p><p class="gmail-m_-9042445885708348384paragraph" style="color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:Roboto,RobotoDraft,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14.3px;vertical-align:baseline"><span class="gmail-m_-9042445885708348384normaltextrun">ALCTS members with five or less years of professional experience in the continuing resources field are eligible. The award consists of $1,500, donated by Wiley, and is applicable toward round trip transportation, lodging, registration fees, etc. Eligible applicants may apply more than once. </span><span class="gmail-m_-9042445885708348384eop"> </span><u></u><u></u><u></u><u></u></p><p class="gmail-m_-9042445885708348384paragraph" style="color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:Roboto,RobotoDraft,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14.3px;vertical-align:baseline"><span class="gmail-m_-9042445885708348384normaltextrun">Winners will be chosen based on: commitment to professional development in the continuing resources field as shown by participation in continuing education activities, workshops and previous participation in professional activities; candidate's written justification for the grant in terms of commitment to and interest in continuing resources related work; personal professional development; financial need; two letters of reference; and a vita. </span><span class="gmail-m_-9042445885708348384eop"> </span><u></u><u></u><u></u><u></u></p><p class="gmail-m_-9042445885708348384paragraph" style="color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:Roboto,RobotoDraft,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14.3px;vertical-align:baseline"><span class="gmail-m_-9042445885708348384normaltextrun">You'll need to send: Candidate's statement, two letters of reference, and a resume/vita.</span><span class="gmail-m_-9042445885708348384eop"> Start writing and ask for those letters of reference TODAY.</span><u></u><u></u><u></u><u></u></p><p class="gmail-m_-9042445885708348384paragraph" style="color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:Roboto,RobotoDraft,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14.3px;vertical-align:baseline"><span class="gmail-m_-9042445885708348384normaltextrun"><b>Send nominations to</b>: </span><b><a href="mailto:ginger.williams@txstate.edu?subject=First%20Step%20Award%2C%20A%20Wiley%20Professional%20Development%20Grant" title="mailto:ginger.williams@txstate.edu?subject=First%20Step%20Award%2C%20A%20Wiley%20Professional%20Development%20Grant" target="_blank"><span class="gmail-m_-9042445885708348384normaltextrun"><span style="color:blue;font-weight:normal">Ginger Williams</span></span></a></b><span class="gmail-m_-9042445885708348384normaltextrun">, chair, First Step Jury</span><span class="gmail-m_-9042445885708348384eop"><b> </b></span><span class="gmail-m_-9042445885708348384normaltextrun">        </span><span class="gmail-m_-9042445885708348384eop"> </span><u></u><u></u><u></u><u></u></p><p class="gmail-m_-9042445885708348384paragraph" style="color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:Roboto,RobotoDraft,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14.3px;vertical-align:baseline"><span class="gmail-m_-9042445885708348384normaltextrun">Visit the </span><a href="https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ala.org%2Falcts%2Fawards%2Fgrants%2Ffirststep&data=02%7C01%7Cginger.williams%40txstate.edu%7Cb192aa1613cd42f42f7108d64bff6087%7Cb19c134a14c94d4caf65c420f94c8cbb%7C0%7C0%7C636779957541698509&sdata=LWW9R%2Bcb%2FDUksRJzEcni8EJlhxw6e0PKZ%2FP7JBFXbbc%3D&reserved=0" title="https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ala.org%2Falcts%2Fawards%2Fgrants%2Ffirststep&data=02%7C01%7Cginger.williams%40txstate.edu%7Cb192aa1613cd42f42f7108d64bff6087%7Cb19c134a14c94d4caf65c420f94c8cbb%7C0%7C0%7C636779957541698509&sdata=LWW9R%2Bcb%2FDUksRJzEcni8EJlhxw6e0PKZ%2FP7JBFXbbc%3D&reserved=0" target="_blank"><span class="gmail-m_-9042445885708348384normaltextrun"><span style="color:blue">First Step Award page</span></span></a><span class="gmail-m_-9042445885708348384normaltextrun"> for more information.</span><span class="gmail-m_-9042445885708348384eop"> </span><u></u><u></u><u></u><u></u></p><span class="gmail-im" style="color:rgb(80,0,80);font-family:Roboto,RobotoDraft,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14.3px"><br class="gmail-Apple-interchange-newline"></span><div><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4"><i>Shirleanne Ackerman Gahan</i></font><div style="font-size:small"><font face="times new roman, serif">University of Washington, MLIS candidate</font></div><div style="font-size:small"><font face="times new roman, serif"><a href="mailto:sgahan@uw.edu" style="color:rgb(17,85,204)" target="_blank">sgahan@uw.edu</a></font></div><div style="font-size:small"><font face="times new roman, serif"><a href="tel:(971)%20222-5186" value="+19712225186" style="color:rgb(17,85,204)" target="_blank">971.222.5186</a></font></div><div style="font-size:small"><br></div><div style="font-size:small"><font face="times new roman, serif">University of Portland, Serials Technical Assistant</font></div><div style="font-size:small"><font face="times new roman, serif"><a href="mailto:gahan@up.edu" target="_blank">gahan@up.edu</a></font></div><div style="font-size:small"><font face="times new roman, serif">503.943.7776</font></div><div><font face="times new roman, serif"><br></font></div><div><font face="times new roman, serif"><br></font></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>