Montana Library Association, Inc.

MLA from the mountains to the prairies

Home
Resources
Scholarships

Cates Scholarship

Sheila Cates served as Library Development Coordinator at the Montana State Library from 1985 until her death from cancer in 1993. Sheila, whose energy, kindness, and ingenuity made an impact on so many Montana librarians, was named Montana Library Association’s Librarian of the Year in 1993. The Montana Library Association established the Sheila Cates Scholarship in 1994 to provide financial support to association members seeking education in the library and information science field.

The Sheila Cates Scholarship provides financial support to Montana Library Association members seeking a graduate degree in library and information science or a graduate school library media program. Individuals selected to receive an award from the scholarship fund must show potential for emulating Sheila’s contributions to Montana libraries.

Apply for Scholarship

Scholarship Application (.pdf version of Scholarship Application)

Past Winners

Nicole Bernard (2023)
Maren Engen (2022)
Kris Goss (2022)
Christina Koch (2022)
Emily Wicks (2022)
Tiffany Christensen (2021)
Heidi Gunderson (2021)
Vanessa Justice (2021)
Robert Mueller (2020)
Christine Call (2019)
Elizabeth Johnson (2019)
Ben Chiewphasa (2018)
Sarah Widger (2018)
Crystal Kobayashi (2018)
Kendra Mullison (2017)
Taylor Schultz (2017)
Hannah Mundt (2016)
Kourtni McHugh (2016)
Carole Harris-Carlstrom (2016)
Jacqueline Frank (2016)
Aaron LaFromboise (2015)
Marilyn Bennett (2015)
Rachel Rawn (2014)
Rachel Schillreff (2014)
Bobbi deMontigny (2013)
Susan Matter (2013)
Meagan Steiner (2013)
Melody Condron (2012)
Katherine Holloway (2012)
Mary Guthmiller (2010)
Lynde Roberts (2010)
Desiree Dramstad (2009)
Michelle Fenger (2009)
Brett Fisher (2009)
Stephanie Johnson (2009)
Catherine McMullen (2009)
Lee Miller (2009)
Megan Stark (2009)
Sheree West (2009)
Kathy Robins (2007)
Darlene Hert (2006)
Kathy Mora (2005)
Honore Bray (2004)
Roberta Gebhardt (2004)
Jennie Stapp (2002)
Anita Scheetz (1998)
Gene Marie Robson (1996)
Gail Wilkerson (1995)
Nancy Hatfield
Kathryn Holt
Judy McKenna
Fred Noel
Sami Pierson

Scholarship Fundraising

Each year, the MLA Sheila Cates Scholarship Committee holds several fundraising events at the MLA Conference to raise funds for the scholarship account. The Sheila Cates Traveling Quilt was created in 1994 by Montana Librarian Eva English as an item to be used for one of those events, the annual Sheila Cates Scholarship Silent Auction. The first winner of the silent auction quilt decided to give it back to the Cates Scholarship Committee and now the quilt has become a traveling quilt. At conference each spring, librarian’s names are drawn for a three-month display of the quilt at the librarian’s home library. Each visited library puts a library patch on the quilt so one can see where it’s traveled in honor of Sheila Cates, one of the great Montana librarians whose work carries on in the form of financial support for Montana’s new librarians.

Traveling Quilt – Winners

May 2018-Because the original Cates quilt was full with wonderful patches from participating libraries, Eva English created a new Cates quilt. The first Cates Traveling Quilt will be displayed at the Montana State Library and the current Cates quilt will start traveling soon.
May – July 2015 – Debbi Wellman, Choteau County Library
August – October 2015 – Cathy Brandvold, Valier Public Library
November – January 2016 – Desiree Funston, Missoula Public Library
February – April 2016 – Norma Glock, Columbus Middle School Library
April -Oct. 2017 – Norma Glock, Columbus Middle School Library
Nov. 2017-April 2018 – Aaron LaFromboise, Medicine Spring Library