Unique opportunity to win a fully funded trip to the USA and a free place & travel at UKSG 2023!

In 2023, the UKSG and NASIG conferences will be taking place in Glasgow and Pittsburgh respectively. These two conferences are an exciting opportunity for a developing professional to socialise and network with peers, make new connections, serendipitous discoveries, break out of your own silo to hear from others across the sector. But don’t take our word for it - here is what Karen Morrison, the award winner in 2022, says:

“Aside from all I learnt, what has really stayed with me is the welcoming, friendly atmosphere at both conferences–from the UKSG newcomers social event where I met lovely people I attended events with throughout the conference, to NASIG’s ‘ramble’, where publishers and librarians got together for a 5k run around the waterfront at 6am! I would highly recommend applying for the John Merriman award. Aside from making friends I’m still in contact with and expanding my knowledge in relation to my role and also more widely, it’s made me realise there’s such a vast community I could contribute to, and I look forward to doing so in future.”

Named in honour of John Merriman, in recognition of his work in founding both UKSG and NASIG, this prestigious award provides an invaluable opportunity for anyone keen to learn and share experiences from a very different angle.

One lucky UKSG member has the chance to attend the NASIG and UKSG conferences this year. The award is intended to cover conference registration, travel and accommodation costs.

In 2023, the UKSG conference will take place in Glasgow, UK, from 13^th- 15^th April 2023. The NASIG conference will take place in Pittsburgh, PA, USA, from 22^nd – 25^th May 2023.

The award winner will be supported by the generous sponsorship of Taylor & Francis Group for the US trip and will in addition receive full financial support from UKSG to attend the UKSG conference.

Who can apply

The award is open to UKSG members (are you a member? Find out here: https://www.uksg.org/members )
Applicants should be in a role within a Library or Information Service with responsibility for managing online resources or in direct contact with library users, supporting them in the use of online resources.

You can find terms and conditions as well as the marking criteria that will be used, here

All applicants must complete an online form. This form includes the following questions that will be considered by a panel of UKSG volunteers:

Provide a short answer (250-400 words) on the topic of ‘what is the biggest challenge in your current job OR in the library sector right now, and how, in an ideal world, would you address it?’
How will you use the NASIG and UKSG conferences to help with the challenge you outlined in question 1? (max. 200 words)
How will you be able to contribute and participate during the conference? (max. 200 words)
Describe how you will share, use and/or apply what you have learnt at the conference (max. 200 words)