Beta Phi Mu Honor Society Announces 2017 Scholarship and Fellowship Winners for 2017

At its Annual Business Meeting and Member Reception, held on June 24, 2017 in conjunction with the Annual Conference of the American Library Association (ALA), the Beta Phi Mu International Library and Information Studies Honor Society announced the award winners for its 2017 scholarship season. Each year, Beta Phi Mu provides $10,000 worth of scholarships and awards for study and research related to Library and Information Science, in addition to administering the Eugene Garfield Doctoral Dissertation Fellowships.

For all the details concerning this year's winners, see the 2017 Beta Phi Mu Scholarships press release.
 

We're looking forward to seeing many of our members, supporters, and chapter leaders at ALA in Chicago!

Thanks to our generous sponsors for helping to underwrite our Business Meeting and Member Reception this year!

See the Events page for all the details!

​The Spring/Summer 2017 edition of Beta Phi Mu's newsletter, The Pipeline, is now available!

Features include a message from President Linda C. Smith, news of chapters and members, a remembrance of Dr. Eugene Garfield, an announcement about the winner of the 2017 Beta Phi Mu Award, Dr. Em Claire Knowles, and more!

Visit the Newsletter page to read this current newsletter, as well as past issues.

The polls are open!

​Beta Phi Mu members, please participate in our 2017 Election!  We'll be electing a new Vice President / President Elect, a new Treasurer, and a new Director-at-large on this ballot!  Two new Directors will also be elected at our Business meeting held in conjunction with ALA this summer in Chicago.

Go to Beta Phi Mu Election to participate! Polls close at midnight, May 31st.
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​The 2017 winner of the Beta Phi Mu-Library Research Round Table Research Paper Award is "Including the Voices of Librarians of Color in Reference and Information Services Work", authored by Amy VanScoy and Kawanna Bright. Dr. VanScoy is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Library and Information Studies, University at Buffalo. Ms. Bright is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Research Methods and Statistics at the University of Denver. They will receive a certificate and a $500 award at the American Library Association’s annual conference in Chicago this summer.
 
Reviewers described their research question as having “important implications for the profession, both in terms of diversity and social justice. It also has valuable potential for improving Reference and Instruction services for patrons of color.” The paper provided an “excellent review of the literature… to explain and revisit meaning for the results. ... Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) addresses commonalities and differences in the lived experiences of the phenomenon, which suits this question. The identification of clear themes… provides a valuable context for improving the work environment and supporting inclusiveness in the profession… provid[ing] potential for improving the equity and justice of reference and instructional services as well.”

http://www.betaphimu.org/bpm-lrrt-paper-winner.html

The Beta Phi Mu Executive Board expresses condolences to the family of Dr. Eugene Garfield following his death on February 26, 2017.  Dr. Garfield will be remembered for his many accomplishments as a researcher and founder of the Institute for Scientific Information.  As the international library and information studies honor society, Beta Phi Mu values the support and encouragement that Dr. Garfield provided for doctoral students to excel in research.  The recipients of the Beta Phi Mu/Eugene Garfield Doctoral Dissertation Fellowships are one aspect of his legacy to the field. 

Linda C. Smith
2016-2017 Beta Phi Mu President

Young Adult Literature, Libraries, and Conservative Activism by Loretta M. Gaffney is now available!

From the Preface to the book: [This book] "examines how librarians, teachers, cultural critics, and conservative library activists portray young adult (YA) literature and its readers. It analyzes public and professional discussions of YA in order to find points of agreement and contention and to bring a librarian's-eye-view to cultural criticism of teen media. It considers YA literature not simply as a body of literature written and published for a teen audience but also as a cultural signifier standing in for different constituencies' views of teenage reading."

Beta Phi Mu members receive a 20% discount on all Scholars Series titles from Rowman & Littlefield. See more information on our Scholars Series Titles webpage.  

The Fall/Winter 2016 edition of Beta Phi Mu's newsletter, The Pipeline, is now available!

Features include a message from President Linda C. Smith, news of chapters, 2016 scholarship winners, member news, a rememberance of former Beta Phi Mu President and Executive Director Bill Summers, and an article about our re-designed website.

Visit the Newsletter page to read this current newsletter, as well as past issues.

Are you a librarian with a research interest in a country outside of North America? The Harold Lancour Scholarship for Foreign Study may be for you! this $1,750 scholarship is awarded to librarians for research or a special course of study to survey foreign libraries or programs outside North America, and/or to conduct research in a foreign country outside North America. For more information, see the Lancour Scholarship page on our website: 
http://www.betaphimu.org/lancour.html