The Ely Library Student Scholarship
The Ely Library at Westfield State was founded by Students in 1858. Sherman Adams and six other students established a Library of 200 books in the fields of “Literature, Science, and Art” twenty years after the school was founded.
Westfield State students have always been actively involved in shaping the institution, from its early days as a normal school to its current status as a university. So it shouldn’t be surprising that in 1858 a group of seven students (three women and four men) got together to form a library. Until then, only textbooks had been available to students and they felt that a well-stocked library was critical to their studies. The Library was started with 200 books, most of them provided by the students themselves, and the rest donated by faculty members and “friends of Education”.
Impact
“Thank you so much for awarding this scholarship to me! I absolutely love working at Ely Library, and plan to continue my education by going to grad school after I graduate to get my Master’s in Library Science! I am so lucky to have this opportunity!”
-Aiden Carroll ’22, Criminal Justice
“Not only will I be able to continue my studies but I will also be able to finish my final year here. Your donation truly means more than you know; thank you so very much!”
-Kyle Carl ’22, Elementary Education and Liberal Studies
“Thank you so much for this extremely generous scholarship donation. I really appreciate the very special opportunity I have to be able to work at Ely Library!”
-Colleen Murphy ’22, Early Childhood Education and Liberal Studies