(via Eric Kidwell, Huntingdon College)
College libraries across the land are coming up with new and innovative ways to connect with their students and faculty and demonstrate their continued value to college administrators. What have you done that could serve as a model for other college libraries? Apply for the CLS Innovation College Librarianship Award and shine a light on your library and help colleagues at other institutions learn how they may meet similar goals. The purpose of the CLS Innovation Award is to recognize college librarians and staff who demonstrate successful introduction of innovation in their library through a new idea, method, project, or device that enhances student learning and/or faculty development and overall works to promote the library as integral to the achievement of the college’s mission. Winners will receive a $1,000 award and plaque, donated by the Statewide California Electronic Library Consortium.
As nominee(s), the librarian(s) must have demonstrated a capacity for innovation in working with or serving undergraduates or instructors in the areas of programs, services, and operations; or creating innovations for library colleagues that facilitate their ability to better serve the library’s community. At least one of the nominees must be an ALA member to be eligible for this award. Nominees must be in an academic library setting at institutions fitting the Carnegie classifications of Baccalaureate or Masters Colleges and Universities. Applications are kept in the award pool for three years. Applications may be updated each year, as long as they are received by the award deadline.
Electronic submissions are required. All electronic attachments should be emailed to CLSawardcommittee@gmail.com. Nominations should include the following information.
- name, address, e-mail and phone number of self-applicant or the person you are nominating
- letter of nomination (including self-nomination) (no more than 1,000 words)
- written description of a new idea, method, project or device that enhances student learning, or faculty development and overall works to promote the library as integral to the achievement of the college’s mission; describe the impact that it has had (or is anticipated to have) on the library and how it supports the college’s mission; also describe what other librarians can learn from the experience and how it could be replicable in other libraries
- C.V. (required)
- letter of recommendation, if appropriate
- completed online form.
The selected recipient will provide a statement after the project, to be used in the announcement for the following year’s award call for nominations, to describe the impact that the project has had on their library. If possible, please submit a high resolution photo of the nominee (at least 300 dpi). The photo will be used to make the official winner announcement immediately after the ALA Midwinter Meeting.
The deadline for submissions is Friday, December 1. Questions or requests for assistance in compiling an nomination should be directed to Eric A. Kidwell, Huntingdon College, at (334) 833-4420 or ekidwell@hawks.huntingdon.edu, or Chase Ollis, at collis@ala.org. Past recipients include Tish Hayes, Terra B. Jacobson and Troy A. Swanson, all of the Moraine Valley Community College (MVCC) Library, who won the award in 2014.