California Public Library Staff Education Program

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Program Goal

The Public Library Staff Education Program is a tuition reimbursement program. The program supports the improvement of library services to California’s diverse communities.

The program reimburses California public and county law library staff who:

  • are pursuing a master’s degree in library and information science and
  • show a commitment to serving California’s diverse communities

The Public Library Staff Education Program is a partnership of the California State Library and the Southern California Library Cooperative.

Eligibility

To be eligible to apply, applicants must:

Timeline

  • Thursday, October 31, 2024, 12:00 pm (noon): Student applications are due.
  • December 2024: All applicants will be notified about the status of their requests, whether funded, not funded, or placed on a waiting list.
  • July 31, 2025: As classes are completed after the Summer 2024, Fall 2024, Winter/Spring 2025 academic terms, students submit receipts and proof of successful completion of class for reimbursement. All requests for tuition reimbursement and a student final narrative report must be submitted to the Cooperative Library System contact person by this date.

Application Information

To apply to participate in the 2024/25 Public Library Staff Education Program, complete a student application at the student submission portal.

Below is student application information for reference use only.

For application questions, please contact Wayne Walker at wwalker@socallibraries.org.

How the Program Works

Employees of public libraries and county law libraries are eligible to apply for tuition reimbursement for their graduate coursework toward a master’s in library science at an ALA-accredited library school. Tuition reimbursement is for classes taken during Summer 2024 through Spring 2025.

This program is competitive; not every applicant will be selected to receive tuition reimbursement. All applications will be reviewed for eligibility and selection is based upon the comprehensive, but not exclusive, criteria below:

  1. In the essay, does the applicant tell about a time their work promoted equity, diversity, and inclusion for the communities they serve through their library or other applicable work?  
  2. In the essay, does the applicant tell how they are applying, or plan to apply, the skills and knowledge from their library school courses to serve their community, with a focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion? 
  3. How close is the student to graduating within the project period (Summer 2024-Spring 2025)?
  4. How long has the applicant worked in libraries?
  5. Is the application complete?

All applicants will be notified if they are selected to receive reimbursement funding. Those not selected will also receive appropriate notification. The program includes a waiting list, and applicants who are not selected might learn later in the year that funds are available for them.

This is a tuition reimbursement opportunity. If selected to receive reimbursement funding, students must first pay for courses, then complete courses with a grade of B- or above (or Pass for no letter grade courses). Once courses have been completed, students must provide proof of tuition fees paid and a copy of grades received to the cooperative library system. When final reimbursement is requested, students must complete a student final narrative report. The cooperative library system will then issue the final reimbursement directly to the student.

Students are selected to receive tuition reimbursement for one year only; they must apply through a competitive process for each year that they seek tuition reimbursement.

What PLSEP Funds Cover

Individuals can receive reimbursement for library school course fees, not to exceed $5,000 per grant year.

Students who are receiving course reimbursement from an IMLS Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian grant or another grant can only receive PLSEP reimbursement for those courses not previously reimbursed.

What PLSEP Funds Do Not Cover

Books, student union and association fees, lab fees, health fees, transcript fees, and parking are not reimbursed under this program.

Other Professional Development Opportunities

For other continuing education opportunities for California public library staff, please visit CALL Academy — Fostering Learning and Growth in California Libraries

Other Resources for Financial Assistance