91´«Ã½

CHICAGO - The 91´«Ã½ (91´«Ã½) has named Mackenzie Brooks of Batavia, Ill., the recipient of the 2010 Marshall Cavendish Scholarship.

The Marshall Cavendish Scholarship was established by a donation from the Marshall Cavendish Corporation in Tarrytown, N.Y., publishers of illustrated reference books for libraries. The $3,000 scholarship is awarded to a person pursuing a master's degree in library and information studies.

As an undergraduate, Brooks interned in the Archives and Manuscripts Department of the Chicago History Museum. This internship “solidified my decision to pursue archival studies, not just for the opportunity to work with rare and interesting materials, but because of the issues intrinsic in the work.” An American Studies major, Brooks understands “the value of primary sources for researchers and the importance of making those materials as easy to access as possible.” She is certain that, upon graduation, her passion and commitment for archival studies will continue to grow.

While attaining her accelerated BS/MLIS degree, Brooks has received several scholarships, including the Presidential Merit Scholarship, the nation’s highest merit scholarship. She is also a member of her university’s Honors Program and of Sigma Tau Delta, an English Honors society. Brooks has demonstrated leadership skills in training new library employees and even creating employee training manuals for interlibrary loan services.

Brooks attends Dominican University in River Forest, Ill.