The Music Library Association is dedicated to serving as the professional association for music libraries and librarianship in the United States. Since its founding in 1931, it boasts an international membership of librarians, musicians, scholars, educators, and members of the book and music trades. It focuses on national and international activities while also working at the local level through eleven regional chapters.
The MLA Diversity Scholarship Award aims to support students from under-represented racial/ethnic groups in their pursuit of a Master's degree in Library and Information Science (MLIS), with a specific focus or interest in music librarianship. Recognizing the need to diversify the field, the scholarship particularly invites applications from Black, indigenous, and other people of color (BIPOC) who are either applying to or currently enrolled in an ALA-accredited MLIS program on at least a part-time basis. The scholarship includes a $3,000 tuition stipend, career guidance, a one-year student membership in MLA, gratis registration for the MLA annual conference, and a committee recommendation for the MLA Kevin Freeman Travel Grant to support potential travel to the MLA Annual Meeting.