Ada Leigh Soles Memorial Professional Librarian and Archivist Incentive Program
Scholarship Overview: Scholarship for academically talented Delawareans to pursue careers as librarians and archivists in Delaware
Application Available: April 1, 2026
Deadline Date: April 1, 2027
Scholarship Details:
The purpose of this program is to enable and encourage academically talented Delawareans to pursue careers as librarians and archivists in Delaware. The program is administered by the Delaware Division of Libraries (DDL).
Awards shall be provided for education in master’s degree programs of library and information studies that are accredited by the American Library Association. Related degrees at ALA-accredited institutions will be considered. Preference shall be given to persons currently employed by a Delaware public library, county department of libraries, public school library, state agency library or archive, or a member library of the Delaware Library Consortium.
Awards may also be provided for study leading to bachelor’s and doctoral degrees. Awards shall be limited to persons who have been employed for a minimum of two years at a Delaware public library, county department of libraries, public school library, state agency library or archive, or a member library of the Delaware Library Consortium. Employment can be full or part time, but current employment must be maintained during the scholarship award period.
State agency libraries are included on the list of special libraries at https://lib.de.us/special-libraries/.
AYou must be a legal resident of Delaware in order to be eligible for a Soles Scholarship.
Academic record is considered. Preference is given to students pursuing a Master’s Degree. Awards are subject to available funding, and renewal awards will be funded first.
HOW TO APPLY –
- Apply at www.grantinterface.com
- Applications, along with all required documentation, must be submitted by April 1 each year.
Visit https://guides.lib.de.us/profdev or see below for application documents.
Application Requirements: Essay, Transcript
Award Amount: Full Tuition + mandatory fees + other costs
Award Details:
PAYMENT PROCESS
Award notifications are sent via email in August. Awards cover full tuition and mandatory fees for fall, winter, spring, and summer semesters.
As soon as you receive a tuition bill, send a copy to DDL at scholarships@lib.de.us. All payments will be sent directly to your school. The payment address must be on file with the state of Delaware vendor system.
The award notification you receive will include a letter for you to send to the contact at your school that will be handling your tuition bills/invoices. The letter instructs them to check to make sure that there is a correct address on file and includes instructions on how they need to register if not. They need to do this immediately. The letter will also include details as to what needs to be included on all bills/invoices.
Once DDL reviews your tuition bills/invoices, they will be submitted for payment to Delaware Department of State (DOS) Fiscal.
Once a payment has been approved by DOS, a check or EFT is created and sent to your school. Your school will then apply the payment to your account.
This process can take several weeks depending on the overall volume of payments that need to be made.
Website/URL: https://guides.lib.de.us/profdev
Scholarship Manager Information:
Contact Name: Katie McDonough, Chair, DLA Scholarships, Awards & Citations Committee
Contact Email: katie.mcdonough@lib.de.us
Additional Scholarship Information:
CONTACT INFORMATION
Please email scholarships@lib.de.us with any questions.
Filters:
Eligibility: Member Organization (Personal/Relative)
Areas of Study: Humanities, Museums & Libraries
Applicant’s Current Education Level: High School Senior, College Student, Workforce
Location Specific: Delaware