Brynne Campbell Selected as 2019 David H. Clift Scholarship Recipient

The American Library Association (ALA) has selected Brynne Campbell of Brooklyn, New York as the 2019 David H. Clift Scholarship recipient.

The David H. Clift Scholarship was named for a former director of the American Library Association. The $3,000 scholarship is awarded to a person pursuing a master's degree in library and information studies.

Currently, Campbell works as a health sciences reference associate at New York University Libraries. When she started the position, she had no intentions of becoming a librarian. According to Campbell, however, she was enticed by her experiences working alongside science librarians. In reflecting on her path to the library profession, Campbell stated that her “pursuit of a career in science librarianship represents a pivot from my previous life as a high school chemistry teacher.”

Campbell feels drawn to librarianship because she “believes that libraries are fundamentally places of service.” She is excited to pursue a career in science librarianship so that she will be able to “leverage her research and instruction skills with her service orientation and love of science.” She says that she has “seen how libraries are well-positioned to help untangle some of the emergent foundational problems in the world of science.” Her hope is to continue working in academic libraries as she “joins an intellectual community concerned with supporting high quality science research.”

One reference stated that Campbell is “a dedicated worker with a thirst for knowledge. Her competence and self-direction are unparalleled. She has a strong public service orientation and is a gifted teacher and communicator. She consistently demonstrates a high level of professionalism and thoughtfulness. Her leadership is apparent to everyone who works with her. She is an excellent collaborator as she listens to every team member. I am convinced that her personality, educational and professional background, combined with her work activities and interests make her well-suited for the library profession.”

Another reference stated that Campbell “has a rare combination of intuition, intelligence, and enthusiasm. Her judgement, interpersonal skills, warmth, good humor, sagacity, and great leadership potential leaves no doubt that she will be a future leader in the library profession.”

Campbell attends Long Island University in Brooklyn, New York.

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.