(via Sheryl Reyes–Director, Office of ALA Governance)
Nominations are being accepted for ALA honorary membership, the Association’s highest honor, which is bestowed on living citizens of any country whose contributions to librarianship or a closely related field are so outstanding that they are of significant and lasting importance to the whole field of library service.
Honorary members are elected for life by vote of the ALA Council upon recommendation of the ALA Executive Board. Nominations will be reviewed during the ALA Executive Board’s 2020 fall meeting, and presented to Council for vote during the 2021 ALA Midwinter Meeting. Newly elected honorary members will be formally recognized at the Opening General Session during the 2021 ALA Annual Conference, June 24-29, 2021, in Chicago.
Members who wish to forward nominations must complete the online ALA Honorary member Nomination form. The completed nomination packet, with all attachments, must be received no later than Tuesday, September 1, 2020. Posthumous nominations are not eligible for consideration. Application is by electronic submission only.
Additional information about ALA honorary membership, plus a complete list of all honorary members elected since the designation was first awarded in 1893, is available at on the ALA Awards and Grants webpages. The most recent awardee (2018) is Librarian of Congress Dr. Carla Hayden.