The principal aims of The Bibliographical Society of Canada are to promote bibliographical publications; to encourage the preservation and to extend the knowledge of printed works and manuscripts, particularly those relating to Canada; to facilitate the exchange of information concerning rare Canadiana; to coordinate bibliographical activity, and to set standards. To that end the Society offers two fellowships.
Conditions of the fellowships
Both fellowships will be awarded only in support of specific research projects involving discrete areas of research. Projects that are part of some larger undertaking will not be considered unless they can be completed on their own, and can lead to findings that are reportable or publishable in themselves.
All scholars may apply, except the members of the Bibliographical Society of Canada Executive and Awards and Fellowships Committees.
The funds available are for out-of-pocket expenses such as travel fares and subsistence, and technical services or supplies, and may not be used for salaries or stipends.
The fellowships are awarded in the spring.
Marie Tremaine Fellowship
The Tremaine Fellowship is offered in memory and through the generosity of Marie Tremaine (1902-1984), the doyenne of Canadian bibliographers. The Fellowship was instituted in 1987 and is offered annually to support the work of a scholar engaged in some area of bibliographical research, including textual studies and publishing history and with a particular emphasis on Canada. The amount of the Fellowship is $2,000.00. The recipient of the Marie Tremaine Fellowship also receives a free one-year membership in the society.
- Application Form for the 2025 Marie Tremaine Fellowship
- Past recipients of the Marie Tremaine Fellowship
Bernard Amtmann Fellowship
The Bernard Amtmann Fellowship is offered in memory of Bernard Amtmann (1907-1979), the noted bookseller and specialist in Canadiana. The Fellowship was offered for the first time in 1992 and will be offered every three years thereafter to support the work of a scholar in one of Bernard Amtmann’s principal areas of interest: Canadiana, book collecting, bookselling, and bibliography. Special consideration will be given to applicants working on some aspect of the book trade. The amount of the fellowship is $1500.
Awards
Marie Tremaine Medal
The Marie Tremaine Medal is awarded by the Bibliographical Society of Canada for outstanding service to Canadian bibliography, and for distinguished publication in either English or French in that field. Bibliography is understood here to include the scholarly study of the history, description, and transmission of texts in all media and formats. The award is accompanied by the Watters-Morley Prize.
Members of the Awards Committee or the Council of the Society are not eligible for the award while they are in office. Otherwise the award is open to all, without restriction. Nominations may not be put forward by the president or by members of the Awards Committee, but otherwise there are no restrictions in this regard.
Previous recipients of the Tremaine Medal have been Marie Tremaine, 1970; John Hare and Jean-Pierre Wallot, 1973; Bruce Braden Peel, 1975; William F.E. Morley, 1977; Reginald Eyre Watters, 1979; Olga Bernice Bishop, 1981; Alan F.J. Artibise, 1983; Douglas Grant Lochhead, 1985; Agnes Cecilia O’Dea, 1987; Sandra Alston, 1988; Gloria Strathern,1989; Claude Galarneau, 1990; Patricia Fleming, 1992; Joan Winearls, 1993; Paul Aubin, 1994; Ernie Ingles, 1996; Carl Spadoni, 1999; Bertram H. MacDonald, 2000; Yvan Lamonde, 2001; Jacques Michon, 2004; Elizabeth Driver, 2007; George L. Parker, 2009; Peter McNally, 2011; Marcel Lajeunesse, 2012; Carole Gerson, 2013; Pierre Hébert, 2014; Jennifer Connor, 2015; Anne Dondertman, 2017 and Dr. Benoît Melançon, 2021.
Prizes
Watters-Morley Prize
A fund created and endowed in 2003 by William and Beth (Watters) Morley supports a cash prize to be given to the recipient of the Tremaine Medal. The prize honours William Morley (Tremaine Medal winner 1977) and the late Reginald Eyre Watters (Tremaine Medal winner 1979). The prize amount is $500.
Emerging Scholar Prize
The Emerging Scholar Prize will be given annually, starting in 2014, and will recognize and support a scholar at the beginning of her or his career who is undertaking research in bibliography, book history, or print culture. The Emerging Scholar will be invited to deliver a paper at the annual spring conference of the BSC. A revised, article-length version of the paper will be published in the Papers of the Bibliographical Society of Canada, subject to peer review. A grant of $500.00 accompanies the prize and will be used to help the recipient attend the annual conference or to meet costs associated with research.
Students of any nationality enrolled in a master’s or doctoral program are eligible, as is anyone who has graduated from such a program within the last two years (from date of convocation). Individuals holding tenure track/continuing appointments are ineligible. There are no restrictions regarding the topic of research so long as it relates to some aspect of bibliography or book history.
Greta Golick Award
The Greta Golick Award has been given annually since 2022 to recognize and support the education of graduate students and early career researchers by facilitating their participation in the Society’s annual Conference. The award is named in honour of Dr Greta Golick (1956-2018), whose scholarship and teaching are remembered with admiration and gratitude. Inaugurated with a residual sum given to BSC-SbC by the Canadian Association for the Study of Book Culture/l’Association Canadienne pour l’étude de l’histoire du livre (CASBC/ACÉHL) at its dissolution, the award fund is augmented by generous donations in Dr Golick’s memory.
A grant of $250.00 accompanies the prize and will be used to help the recipient attend the annual Conference or to meet costs associated with research.
Students of any nationality enrolled in a master’s or doctoral program are eligible, as is anyone who has graduated from such a program within the last five years (from date of convocation). Individuals holding tenure track/continuing appointments are ineligible, as are members of the Awards Committee and the BSC Council. There are no restrictions regarding the topic of research so long as it relates to some aspect of bibliography or book history. The award is administered by the Awards Committee of the BSC-SbC, who will determine the successful candidate(s) from among the relevant proposals sent in response to the Call for Papers of the annual Conference. The award is presented at the Conference and is conditional on the recipient’s presence and presentation at the Conference. A revised, article-length version of the paper will be published in the Papers of the Bibliographical Society of Canada, subject to peer review.