MOBIUS Conference Attendance Grants
The MOBIUS Consortium is offering a total of $2,500 in conference attendance grants to support the professional growth and development of our membership. These grants are offered twice each year.
The grants will provide funding to one or more MOBIUS members to attend--either virtually or in-person--a conference of their choosing that occurs either between January 1 and June 30 or between July 1 and December 31, and will help cover expenses related to attendance, including conference registration fees, travel, and accommodation. We are also willing to fund group packages for libraries sending multiple members of staff to attend virtual conferences.
Please note: Grant application cycles for 2024 conferences are complete. The next application cycle will be announced on the MOBIUS mailing lists.
Application Requirements
To be considered for a Conference Attendance Grant, the applicant must meet the following requirements:
- Applications are due by 11:59 pm CST on the announced (via email) due date.
- Must apply to attend a conference that meets in person or virtually between either January 1 and June 30 or July 1, 2024 and December 31.
- Be a full-time employee at a MOBIUS member library, including library assistants and support staff who may not have an MLS degree.
- Submit a complete application (see instructions below).
- Grant recipients must agree to write a short report to the Professional Development Committee (about 200 words) within six months of attendance, describing conference participation and how it impacted their librarianship.
MOBIUS reserves the right to publish these reports, in whole or in part, as testimonials.
Current members of the MOBIUS Board of Directors and MOBIUS Office staff are not eligible for these grants. Grant funds cannot be applied toward reimbursement for expenses that have already been paid. If you wish to apply for funding for conferences that take place after June 30 or December 31, please wait until the next round of grants.
Instructions
To be considered, applicants must submit a complete application, which includes:
- Filling out the information form below. This form requires a Google login to submit. If you do not have one, send your application documents to Maegan Gattorna at maegan@mobiusconsortium.org.
- A statement of 400 words or less explaining the applicant's reasons for wanting to attend their chosen conference.
- A brief statement by the applicant of how much money is needed and a detailed breakdown of expenses.
- The applicant’s resume or curriculum vitae (to be uploaded below or submitted to maegan@mobiusconsortium.org).
- For group applications, we require resumes for each library staff member who plans on attending. However, we only require one application statement and one financial cost statement per group. If selected for a grant, each member of the group must submit a report to MOBIUS within six months of attendance.
- If you are attending an in-person conference and require approval from your immediate supervisor or library director in order to take time away from your library, you must upload or email a scanned copy of an authorization form (included in the email announcement) that has been signed by your supervisor, indicating that you have permission to attend.
Criteria
MOBIUS will score applications based on the materials we receive. In awarding grants, preference will be given to applicants who address at least some of the following in their statement:
- How their conference attendance will enhance their day-to-day work and long-term career goals.
- How their attendance will benefit MOBIUS as a whole.
- The availability of institutional funding, or lack thereof (be as specific as possible).
- How their attendance will enhance diversity, equity, and inclusion in the library profession and/or in library services.
- Whether their position or institution specifically serves underrepresented groups and/or non-traditional students.
Example Conferences Covered by the July-December 2024 Grant Cycle