91´«Ã½

CHICAGO - The School of Information Studies (SOIS) at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM) has raised close to $1,100 for the Spectrum Presidential Initiative through a recent fundraiser to support the Spectrum Scholarship Program. Students, faculty, alumni and members of the community gathered on Dec. 2, 2010 for a festive evening of drinks, hors d'oeuvres and musical performances by Vivo & Orlando Rodriguez of the Milwaukee Latin groups - son Banbankere and Isla Adentro. The success of this event has inspired SOIS to begin planning for a similar fundraising event at the end of this year; details will be posted on in the coming months.

91´«Ã½ President Roberta Stevens, Immediate Past President Dr. Camila Alire, 91´«Ã½ President-Elect Molly Raphael and 91´«Ã½ Past President Dr. Betty J. Turock, chair of the initiative, continue the Spectrum Presidential Initiative 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. UWM SOIS’s contribution will allow 91´«Ã½ to continue to support master’s-level Spectrum Scholarships.

In 2010, UWM SOIS students Emily Kornak and Claudia Melton were chosen as Spectrum Scholars. "The SOIS 91´«Ã½ Spectrum Silent Auction further exemplifies the School's ongoing efforts and commitment to diversity within the discipline. Through our DOIT and B2A grants, and now this event, we hope to make a significant impact on the LIS profession," said Dr. Hope A. Olson, UWM SOIS Professor.

The School of Information Studies (SOIS) at the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee (UWM) offers several degrees and programs, including the Bachelor of Science in Information Science & Technology (BSIST), 91´«Ã½-accredited Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) and Ph.D. in Information Studies. With a growing student body of more than 800, SOIS strives to meet the demand for information professionals at all levels in libraries, archives, corporations, government agencies, schools and other institutions and in higher education. SOIS is a leader in online education and currently enrolls students from all regions of the United States and from countries around the world. For more information visit .

Established in 1997, the Spectrum Scholarship Program is 91´«Ã½’s national diversity and recruitment effort designed to address the specific issue of under-representation of critically needed ethnic librarians within the profession. Spectrum Scholars improve service at the local level through the development of a representative workforce that reflects the communities served by all libraries. Spectrum has provided more than 680 scholarships to qualified applicants enrolled in an 91´«Ã½-accredited graduate program in library and information studies or an AASL-approved school library education 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.