October 9 Deadline Approaching for Carla Gray Memorial Scholarship for Emerging Bookseller-Activists

Applications close Tuesday, October 9, for the Carla Gray Memorial Scholarship for Emerging Bookseller-Activists, a new year-long scholarship to be offered on an annual basis by the Book Industry Charitable (Binc) Foundation and the Friends of Carla Gray.

The new scholarship will send one bookseller to the American Booksellers Association’s 2019 Winter Institute and their region’s 2019 fall trade show as well as dedicate $1,000 for the recipient to establish and implement a community outreach program through their store. Booksellers are encouraged to think outside the box for their community outreach project.

Gray, the executive marketing director for Houghton Mifflin Harcourt who died unexpectedly in June 2017 at the age of 52, believed in supporting emerging booksellers and their efforts to make a difference in one’s community. According to the Friends of Carla Gray committee made up of Gray’s friends and her colleagues from the book industry, the winner will hopefully use the grant to further the connection between their bookstore and their community. Ideally, the grant will “help emerging booksellers find early opportunities to build a network in the industry,” as well as “help them create innovative, long-term projects that remind readers how central their stores are to the towns and cities they serve.”

Booksellers are eligible to apply if they meet the following requirements:

• Applicant has at least one year but fewer than five years of bookselling experience.
• Applicant must be a part-time or full-time employee of a bookstore.
• Applicant’s store is a member in good standing with both ABA and its regional association.
• Applicant is willing and able to commit one year to completing the requirements of the scholarship and intends to remain employed at the designated bookstore.
• Bookstore owner agrees to partner on the community outreach project.

Booksellers have until Tuesday, October 9, to apply on the Binc website. Applicants may receive this scholarship only once.

Questions about the scholarship should be directed to Binc’s Kit Steinaway.