The Friends and Foundation of Albany Public Library are pleased to announce the Touhey Library Equity Fellowship, made possible thanks to a gift from the Carl E. Touhey Foundation.
Equity, diversity and inclusion impacts all aspects of work within public libraries and the communities they serve. The goal of these fellowships is to diversify the professional staff of Albany Public Library to more closely represent the population of the City of Albany. “This is an important fellowship: we are grateful for the support of the Carl E. Touhey Foundation and the Touhey family, who have recognized the importance of professional diversification at the Albany Public Library,” said Holly McKenna, President of the Friends and Foundation of Albany Public Library.
The Touhey Library Equity Fellowship will be offered to two African American students enrolled at the University of Albany currently pursuing a Master of Science in Information Science at the College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity (CEHC). This fellowship program will offer frontline library experience to current library science students. Fellows will work as Part-Time Library Assistants at the Central Branches (Washington Ave. Branch and Arbor Hill/West Hill Branch) of the Albany Public Library. The program will begin in Fall 2020.
“Providing a paid internship means attracting promising librarians of color, and directly works to ensure that APL’s workforce is as diverse and inclusive as the communities we serve,” said Scott Jarzombek, Executive Director of the APL.
“Diversity is one of the cornerstones of the College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity. The Touhey Library Equity Fellowship provides our students an excellent opportunity to intern at one of our closest partners, Albany Public Library, and highlights the importance of diversity in all fields,” said Jane Goodall, Vice Dean of the CEHC.
The Carl E. Touhey Foundation seeks to support local organizations and entities that have at their core the mission of promoting social and economic fairness for the undeserved and underrepresented in Albany, New York. Carl E. Touhey, a lifelong Albany businessman, passed away at the remarkable age of 95. As successful as he was, he equally enjoyed giving back to his community.
