Library Fellowship

The library fellowship started as an initiative for a fellowship program or course for an individual or group interested in exploring the future of libraries. The library fellowship helps to advance new ideas and perspectives for the future of libraries through the creation of a public product report that will help library professionals envision the future of library collections, services, spaces, technologies, or partnerships. Selected fellows have access to the Center’s staff and Advisory Group to help advise and respond to their projects which may build on existing work research, or initiatives of the Association, its Offices or divisions to explore new directions and interests. The fellowship is always available to individuals or groups in the library profession as well as those from other disciplines with a demonstrated interest in libraries and their futures.

Different Categories Of Library Fellowship

• Rare Book Collection Fellowships: this offers awards to support the intensive use of its Rare Book Collection. These awards will support research residencies of between one and three months.
• Audiovisual Research Fellowship: this type of fellowship receives applications from advanced graduate students, faculty, independent scholars, and established performing and creative artists for a fellowship that supports intensive, innovative, and impactful research and artistic use of its audiovisual holdings.
• Southern Studies Doctoral Fellowships: applications from advanced graduate students are received and welcomed. It is a duration of about one to three months of Dissertation Research Fellowship.

Popular Library Fellowship

The Chevening British Library Fellowship: this is a collaboration between the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office and also the British Library to bring international experts to the UK to pursue a one of a kind opportunity. The fellowship offers international experts a year long professional project based placement in the institution. Successful applicants will have the privilege of working with the extensive library’s collections and benefit from the range of professional expertise of the library staff. The fellowship is funded by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Fellows will have a unique project based placement involving research, consultation, and strategy development. Fellows will benefit from training within a specific team, as well as having access to a range of organizational training and development opportunities, such as the British Library’s Digital Scholarship programme. Each fellow will also be awarded up to £1,000 for researched and approved project related expenses.

Chevening British Library Course structure.

The program is for a duration of up to 12 months of project based activity, where fellows receive support and supervision from the library staff. During the course of the Library fellowship, there are some benefits that would be enjoyed by the fellows. Some of these benefits are listed below:

Benefits

• 12 month period of project-based activity at the British Library.
• Living expenses for the duration of the fellowship.
• Return economy airfare
• Allowance package for all fellowship related activities.
• £1,000 for approved project-related expenses.
• Access to a programme of cultural events and activities organized by the FCO and the Chevening Secretariat.

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible for a Chevening British Library Fellowship, you must demonstrate the following:

• The potential to rise to positions of leadership and influence
• Possess the personal, intellectual, and interpersonal attributes.
• Be a citizen of either Ukraine or China
• Return to your country of citizenship at the end of the period of the fellowship.
• Have a postgraduate level qualification or equivalent professional training or experience in a relevant area at the time of application.
• Be currently employed or a currently enrolled PhD candidate (note: applicants must hold PhD a UK/EU or USA university).
• Provide evidence of meeting at least the minimum English language abilities for Chevening Awards.
• Not hold British or dual British citizenship.
• Not be an employee, a former employee, or relative of an employee of the British Council, or a staff member of the Association of Commonwealth Universities.

The Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities, IASH: The University of Edinburgh hosts this Library fellowship program in the institute for advanced studies in the humanities. The Edinburgh university is a supportive environment for postdoctoral researchers, while also offering networking opportunities with a successful career. Below are outlined the benefits given during the fellowship program:

Benefits

• A bursary of up to £1,300 per month
• A travel allowance of up to £500
• Dedicated office space at IASH
• Library workspace with privileged access to collections
• Support from curatorial and technical staff, and access to the facilities of the Digital Scholarship Centre
• An allocated University mentor from the Centre for Research Collections (CRC)
• Weekly Fellows’ Lunch to build community
• College seminar series for testing new ideas
• Calendar of engaging events at the Institute and College

Eligibility criteria

The University of Edinburgh welcomes and receives applications from applicants of Universities and other research institutions from around the world.

• Applicants must be employed for purposes including investigative research and have a suitable project or study to undertake using a specific collection.
• Applicants must have been awarded a doctorate at the time of application.
• Applicants must be able to produce a transcript or a letter of completion as a
• Applicants should not have held a previous Fellowship at the Institute for Advanced Studies.

The library fellowship gives privilege to successful fellows to work with the extensive library’s collections and benefit from the range of professional expertise of the library staff during the fellowship program.