Louise Seaman Bechtel Fellowship
Forecasted
Louise Seaman Bechtel Fellowship supports children’s librarians studying historical children’s literature at the Baldwin Library to inform youth services and share research through public programs.
This grant was recently updated
Applications for the 2027 Louise Seaman Bechtel Fellowship are now closed; all materials were due October 15, 2026. Applications for the 2028 fellowship will open in late summer/early fall 2027.
Funder: American Library Association
Due Dates (Anticipated): October 2027 (Application deadline)
Funding Amounts: Up to $7,500 for one to four weeks ($1,875 per week on-site)
Summary: Supports children’s librarians studying historical children’s literature at the Baldwin Library and sharing research relevant to youth services.
Key Information: Applicants must hold current personal ALA and ALSC memberships and a graduate degree from an ALA-accredited program.
Description
The Louise Seaman Bechtel Fellowship supports children’s librarians undertaking concentrated reading and study at the Baldwin Library of Historical Children’s Literature, part of the George A. Smathers Libraries at the University of Florida in Gainesville. Administered by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), the annual fellowship began in 1993 and is endowed in memory of Louise Seaman Bechtel and Ruth M. Baldwin. The collection includes 130,000 volumes of children’s literature, published mostly before 1950.
Research should explore a topic significant to youth services using the Baldwin Collection and lead to public programs for librarians, teachers, children, or general audiences. Past projects have examined historical portrayals of bullying, changes in manners books, school stories, women’s biographies, and the evolution of board books.
