Koslov, AALL Establish Scholarship in Court Administration

At the 2000 AALL Annual Meeting in Philadelphia, Marcia J. Koslov and the American Association of Law Libraries established a scholarship program for education in court administration. Specifically directed at members of the State, Court and County Law Libraries Special Interest Section this scholarship provides funding covering the tuition and expenses for live seminars and conferences presented by the Institute for Court Management of the National Center for State Courts (ICM).

Impetus for the establishment for the scholarship came when Marcia, formerly State Law Librarian for the Wisconsin State Law Library, left that position after 26 years to accept a new position as Director of Knowledge Management for the National Center. It was one of those "aha!" moments, combining the two professional areas - law librarianship and ICM - that had the most significant impact on her life and seemed like a perfect match for the use of funds she had set aside from winning the 1994 Excellence in Government in Law Librarianship Award sponsored by West Publishing Co. Marcia attended ICM's Court Executive Development Program from 1989 to 1993. Upon successful completion of the courses, she was designated a Fellow of the Institute for Court Management in June 1993. Her court evaluation/research paper, "Wisconsin County Law Libraries," (LLJ, v.86, 1994), in fulfillment of Phase III of the CEDP, won the Award of Merit as the outstanding independent study that year.

ICM

I CM is the premier provider of educational programs in court administration. Its mission is to educate, inform, and support the management and leadership of the state courts. Whether individuals are pursuing one of ICM certification programs or taking individual courses students seeking to enhance their management and leadership skills in the court system will be enriched by the educational experience. More information on ICM and course offerings can be found at: Institute for Court Management website (http://www.ncsconline.org/D_ICM/icmindex.html)

In Marcia's view, law librarians are to be counted among the managers and leaders in the courts. Attending ICM programs will help librarians develop a more fundamental understanding of the work of the courts and provided a stronger base for day-to-day interactions with court administrative staff at all levels. Because of her positive experience at ICM, Marcia maintains that law librarians are viewed as a welcome addition both to the courses and within the court administration arena. Greater law librarian attendance at ICM programs will sustain an essential two-way communication benefit. It will help law librarians understand the responsibilities and tasks of court managers, and it will help court managers understand that law librarians can provide a unique and central role as part of the court administration team in delivering information and services.

The Scholarship

Two scholarships will be awarded annually. Recipients must be a current member of AALL and also a current member of the State, Court & County Law Libraries Special Interest Section.

In order to qualify for consideration for the scholarship, an applicant must:

• Submit a statement explaining why the applicant wants to pursue continuing education with the Institute for Court Management and identify the live seminar or conference they are interested in attending. The statement should also summarize the applicant's major duties, responsibilities and career goals. This statement will help to gauge the fit between what the ICM courses offer and the benefits the applicant hopes to receive from attendance.
• Submit a resume providing evidence of work experience, academic achievement and professional participation.
• Attach a copy of a completed ICM Registration form designating the ICM course the applicant desires to attend. The registration form can be downloaded/printed at: ICM Registration form (https://www.ncsconline.org/d_icm/coursedb/register.asp)

Each recipient will be awarded $1700.00 to cover tuition and expenses for attendance at an ICM seminar or conference.

Administrative Details:

Applications will be due April 1 of each year. Applicants should submit five copies of the materials to the American Association of Law Libraries, Scholarship Committee. 53 W. Jackson Blvd., Suite 940, Chicago, IL 60604. The application review team is composed of:

• A member of the Scholarship Committee, selected by the Scholarship Chair
• A member of SCCLL, selected by the SCCLL President
• Kent J. Wagner, National Programs Director
• Marcia J. Koslov

Announcement of Scholarship Winner:

The announcement of the winner(s) of the scholarship will be made in June of each year. Recognition of the scholarship winner(s) will also be made at the annual AALL Conference through SCCLL and the Scholarship Awards luncheon.