The goal of the C. Walter and Gerda B. Mortenson Center for International Library Programs is to strengthen international ties among libraries and librarians worldwide. To this end we designed the Mortenson Associates Program to provide librarians and information specialists with the skills necessary to become leaders and trainers of their colleagues upon their return to their home institutions.
Objectives and Selection Criteria
- Current employment in a library, information center, or archive.
- Commitment to furthering the Mortenson Center’s goal within the participant’s own country.
- Willingness and ability to share what is learned while at the Mortenson Center with others in the participant’s home country.
- Participants should be fluent in conversational English and possess a reading knowledge of English.
- Excellent communication skills.
- Demonstrated commitment of the participant’s home institution to supporting sharing activity(training seminars, workshops, etc.).
Step 1: Submit Your Application
Application Information
Scans and electronic documents sent by email or online application are preferred. Applications must be complete, received within stated deadlines, include all required attachments,and contain official confirmation of funding. Applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.
The application form must be completed in English, and should be typewritten, if possible. If handwritten, it should be printed legibly. If additional pages are used, please write the question number and your name at the top of each additional page.
1. Curriculum Vitae
Please provide a current Curriculum Vitae in English which details your professional activities(i.e. professional and work experience, activities (affiliations, memberships, and conference participation), awards, honors, and publications).
2. Letter of Recommendation
The Letter of Support must be submitted in English. The Letter of Support should be written by a supervisor, library director or mentor who is familiar with you and your work ethic, and can evaluate your ability to participate in the Mortenson Center Associates Program. Family members are not eligible to write a Letter of Support. The Letter of Support must have an original signature.
3. Copy of Passport Identification Pages
The application will not be complete without a copy or electronic scan of your passport.
4. English Language Proficiency Supporting Documentation
If English is not among the official languages of your country, you must send proof of your English language proficiency or schedule a Skype interview with Mortenson Center staff.
Additional Application Information
- All materials must be submitted in English.
- The Mortenson Center reserves the right to verify all information given in the application.
- Participants must be prepared to work as team members with other Mortenson Center program participants and to participate as required by the program.
- Associates will not be permitted to join the program late or depart early.
Submit Online Application (preferred format)
Download Application Form (Word format)
Download Application Form (PDF format)
Send complete applications to:
Email: mortenson@library.illinois.edu
OR send by postal service to:
Mortenson Center for International Library Programs
University of Illinois Library at Urbana-Champaign
142 Undergraduate Library, MC-522
1402 W. Gregory Drive
Urbana, Illinois 61801 USA
Step 2: Proof of Funding
Once you’ve been accepted to the Associates program, you must provide a document demonstrating your ability to cover the program costs before we can begin processing your travel visa paperwork.Originals are not required, but any copies submitted must be clear, legible, and in English or accompanied by an official English translation. Unless otherwise notified by the Mortenson Center, participants can travel using the B1/B2 visa classification, which does not require additional paperwork.
If you plan to support your attendance with personal funds, you will be required to submit a bank statement showing the date of issue, the account holder’s name, and an amount of funds equivalent to or more than $5000 USD. If your funding will be provided by a personal sponsor (parent, family, etc.) documentation must include both a signed, notarized (or otherwise certified) letter including all criteria used in Proof of Funding letter below and a bank statement including all the criteria mentioned above.
If your government, employer, or another institution will provide funding, a Proof of Funding letter or certificate must be submitted to our office. This document should be on official letterhead and must include the following: Date of Issue, your name,duration of funding or confirmation that funding will be provided throughout your stay at the University of Illinois (name and dates of the Associates program), the amount promised, and an official signature. If you plan to attend the American Library Association Conference in Orlando, Florida, please note that the duration of the visa must cover the dates for the conference.
Example Proof of Funding Letter
Step 3: Visa and Travel Arrangements
Once we’ve processed your visa documents, we will send them and more detailed instructions to you by courier. For this we will need a physical mailing address to which you would like these documents sent. Our courier service will not deliver to Post Office boxes. When you receive these documents, you may make an appointment with your embassy to obtain a travel visa. In the meantime, you will arrange air travel from your home country to Willard Airport in Savoy, IL arriving on May 22, 2018 . Programming will begin on May 23 and end in Champaign on June 19. If you plan to attend the ALA conference, you will be in charge of the travel arrangements. If not, you will depart for your next destination by June 21.