The Book Industry Charitable (Binc) Foundation will accept applications for the Carla Gray Memorial Scholarship for Emerging Bookseller-Activists on September 1-20, 2025. The winner will get a professional development scholarship that lasts a year. This includes travel and hotel costs for the Winter Institute 2026 and for the 2026 regional fall tradeshow, and a stipend of $1,000 for a community outreach project.

“The goal of the community outreach project is to find new readers and ensure access to books that improve readers’ lives while integrating bookstores even more fully into their communities,” per the press release.

This will be the seventh scholarship awarded by the Friends of Carla Gray Committee and the Binc Foundation. It is meant for bookstores with one to ten years of experience to help connect them to and establish long-term relationships with other booksellers, publishers, and authors.

Eligibility requirements and comments from past winners are on Binc’s website.

“Binc is honored to support booksellers through this scholarship and professional development opportunity that celebrates Carla’s legacy and her enthusiasm for books, bookstores, and their communities,” Binc CEO Pam French said. “We look forward to meeting the winner at Winter Institute and learning more about their outreach project.”