CHICAGO— The iSchool at Drexel and Drexel University Libraries have raised more than $1,600 for the Spectrum Presidential Initiative through a recent dinner for Spectrum Scholars. More than two dozen Drexel students, faculty, alumni and members of the Philadelphia community gathered on June 10, 2010 to support the event.

91´«Ã½ President Roberta Stevens, Immediate Past President Dr. Camila Alire, 91´«Ã½ Past President Jim Rettig and 91´«Ã½ Past President Dr. Betty J. Turock, chair of the initiative, announced the Spectrum Presidential Initiative in 2009 as a special campaign to raise $1 million for the Spectrum Scholarship Program. Through this initiative, 91´«Ã½ aims to meet the critical needs of supporting master’s-level scholarships, providing two $25,000 doctoral scholarships, increasing the Spectrum Endowment to ensure the program’s future and developing special programs for recruitment and career development. The iSchool at Drexel and Drexel University Libraries contribution will allow 91´«Ã½ to continue to support master’s-level Spectrum Scholarships and build the Spectrum Endowment.

"The iSchool at Drexel, in collaboration with the Drexel Libraries, was pleased to support the Spectrum Scholarship Program by hosting a dinner. Events like this give people a chance to get together and at the same time support a worthy cause," said Dr. Eileen Abels, the iSchool's Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. "Many of the guests suggested that we make this an annual event!"

Founded in 1892, the iSchool at Drexel educates students in information science and technology at the bachelor's, master's and doctoral levels and features Drexel University's Cooperative Education program. The College's mission is to unite technology, people and information to make a fundamental difference in tomorrow's knowledge society. The iSchool at Drexel is a founding member of the iSchools Caucus of more than 25 prominent colleges dedicated to immersing students in the iField - connecting people, information and technology. For more information visit .

In just the past two years, four iSchool at Drexel Library and Information Science students have been chosen as Spectrum Scholars.

The Spectrum Scholarship Program is 91´«Ã½'s national diversity and recruitment effort designed to address the specific issue of underrepresentation of critically needed ethnic librarians within the profession while serving as a model for ways to bring attention to larger diversity issues in the future. Since its founding, Spectrum has provided more than 700 scholarships to qualified applicants enrolled in an 91´«Ã½-accredited graduate program in library and information studies or an 91´«Ã½-recognized NCATE School Library Media program. To learn more about the Spectrum Scholarship Program, visit .

For more information about the Spectrum Presidential Initiative or to make an online donation, visit . To learn more, get involved, or to make a pledge to the Spectrum Presidential Initiative, contact Miguel A. Figueroa, Director, Office for Diversity & Spectrum at mfigueroa@ala.org, or Kim Olsen-Clark, Director, Development Office at kolsen-clark@ala.org.