91´«Ã½

The 91´«Ã½ (91´«Ã½) has selected Esther C. Jones of St. Paul, Minnesota as the 2018 David H. Clift Scholarship recipient.

The David H. Clift Scholarship was named for a former director of the 91´«Ã½. The $3,000 scholarship is awarded to a person pursuing a master's degree in library and information studies.

In reflecting on her path to the library profession, Jones said, “My mentors have often described me as a bridge builder, and I fully embrace this label. Connecting individuals with the resources they need to succeed brings me so much joy!”

Jones says she has “a strong interest in community and human rights archiving.” During her last semester as an undergraduate, Jones completed an internship at the East Side Freedom Library (St. Paul, MN)—a four-year-old non-profit library dedicated to social justice. In describing her time there, Jones stated, “The care they took in providing beautiful, healing, actively anti-racist spaces really inspired me and taught me a great deal about community partnerships.”

The impact that this library had on Jones is evident to those who know her. One reference stated that “Jones is a sharp graduate student who thinks deeply and passionately about social justice, information access, indigenous epistemologies, and anti-racism. She strongly believes that the library can be a tool for justice and equity, and her commitment to pursuing a social justice-oriented career in librarianship is demonstrated in the positions she has held, her assignments, and her current leadership roles.”

Another reference stated that “Jones has a deep belief in social justice and this provides her with a lens through which she views the functions of libraries. She is an outstanding scholar and citizen, just the kind of person who will make a difference in the lives of diverse library users.”

Currently Jones works as a research and instruction assistant at Macalester College (DeWitt Wallace Library) and attends St. Catherine University in St. Paul (MN).

For information on the 91´«Ã½ Scholarship program, visit our .

The 91´«Ã½ manages the 91´«Ã½ Scholarship Clearinghouse.

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