Dear Members, We wanted to share updates about the Lifting As We Climb Fellowship, designed to enhance support for prospective students, paraprofessionals working in HBCU libraries. These updates aim to align them more closely with the academic processes of North Carolina Central University School of Library and Information Science. Based on feedback from NCCU faculty and HBCU Library Alliance leadership, we have made adjustments to the program's structure and timeline. The most notable change is the adjustment of the application deadline and the program's start date, which have been moved to Spring 2026. This change aims to better align with NCCU's graduate admissions cycle. The Lifting As We Climb Fellowship will support up to five (5) graduate students (1 in-state, four out-of-state) each year in either the Master of Information Science or the Master of Library Science program. This funding will assist with tuition and fees, stipends, and annual convening expenses, including travel and conference costs. Key updates include: Application and Start Dates: The application deadline and start date have both been moved to Spring 2026 to align more closely with NCCU's graduate admissions cycle. Information Session: In the coming weeks, we will be hosting an information session led by the HBCU Library Alliance to provide further insights about the fellowship and the changes being implemented. Mentorship Opportunities: We are seeking five mentors from our network to support the selected students throughout their two-year fellowship journey. Mentors will receive an annual honorarium of $500. If you are interested in participating, please don't hesitate to reach out. We appreciate your understanding regarding these changes and your continued support. Best regards, Shaneé Yvette Willis, M.Div/MLS Program Manager at HBCU Library Alliance<http://hbculibraries.org/> Phone: (678) 210-5801 ext. 103 Web: hbculibraries.org<http://hbculibraries.org/> Email: swillis@hbculibraries.org<mailto:swillis@hbculibraries.org>