Category: Awards    

The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is inviting nominations for the 2009 Coming Up Taller awards, which honor excellence in afterschool, out-of-school, and summer arts and humanities programs for underserved children and youth. Coming Up Taller is an initiative of the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities (PCAH) is partnership with IMLS, the National Endowment for the Arts(NEA), and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH).

Each year, the Coming Up Taller awards recognize ahd reward exceptional programs that cultivate character development and life skills in young people, in addition to presenting high-quality arts and humanities learning opportunities. Award recipients receive $10,000 each, an individualized plaque, and an invitation to attend the annual Coming Up Taller Leadership Enhancement Conference.

Nomination forms are available at:
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This is a prestigious opportunity for libraries that offer special programs to young people intended to make a difference in their futures.

The Gale Cengage Learning Award for Excellence in Reference and Adult Library Services is given to a library or library system for developing an imaginative and unique resource to meet patrons’ reference needs. The resource can be a bibliography, a guide to the literature of a specific subject, a directory, a database or any other project that has helped the library meet adult or children’s reference needs. Tools, guides, or databases that have been developed for reader’s advisory or adult service questions and needs are also eligible for the award.

The award has been given annually since 1991 and is sponsored by Gale Cengage Learning, Famington Hills, Michigan and administered by RUSA. The award comes in the form of $3,000 and a citation.

Nominations are to be made in writing, stating in detail how the resource has contributed to meeting patron’s reference needs. A sample of the resource (or entry, pages’ printouts, etc.) must accompany the nomination. Additional information is available on the committee’s web site – >galegroupawardexcellence.cfm. The award has been given annually since 1991. All nominations should include the following:

*description of the resource
*description of the format, e.g., card file, database, etc.
*list of sources used to compile the resource
*target audience
*criteria used in selecting material for inclusion (If the resource is inclusive, state so clearly).
*breadth of coverage, i.e., time and subject
*explanation of what makes the resource imaginative or unique.

Please do not hesitate to call or email with any questions about the award or the nomination process. Send you letter and relevant documentation to the Committee Chair, Ann Behler, by December 15, 2008 at the address below:

Ann C. Behler
Information Literacy Librarian
Library Learning Services
University Libraries
E102H Paterno Library
University Park, PA 16802
behler@psu.edu

This is your chance to showcase your 2008 early learning programs. Share the programs and services offered to enhance early learning in your community. Share your best practices so that public libraries across the state can be recognized for innovative and successful programs in place for children, families and caregivers.

The application deadline of Friday, October 31, 2008 is earlier than in other years. This is so Best Practices in Early Learning booklets featuring the Best Practices Award winners can be distributed at the Pennsylvania Library Association Early Learning Forum and Best Practices Awards luncheon on April 1, 2009 at the Hilton Harrisburg.

Attendees will have the opportunity to hear from Florence and Wendell Minor, author and illustrator of, “If You Were a Penguin,” the book chosen for the state’s fourth One Book, Every Young Child program. All Best Practice winners will receive their awards from Wendell and Florence Minor and will become part of a Best Practices in Early Learning publication shared with elected officials and policy-makers.

Refer to the attached document for all information needed to submit applications for this award. Thank you for your participation and best wishes.

pala-best-practices-award-application

PaLa scholarships are a great way to make something possible you might not have been able to afford otherwise. There are three PaLA Conference Scholarships available this year. Even though the conference may seem far away, the deadline for applications is Friday, August 29, 2008.

The Conference Scholarships available are:

Boyds Mills Press Conference Scholarship is for first-time conference attendees who are involved in youth services. Three scholarships are available, $500 each.

PaLA Youth Services Conference Grant is for youth services librarians attending the conference but not for the first time. One scholarship is available, $500.

Brodart Conference Grant is for support staff to attend their first conference. Ten scholarships are available, totaling $1,500.

Priority is given in each of these scholarships to those who are PaLA personal members. If you are not a member already, you can find more information and a personal member application form at http://www.palibraries.org/about/membership.asp .

Links to the Conference wiki and to the scholarship application forms are on PaLA’s website http://www.palibraries.org/

From keynote speakers to award sessions and workshops, the conference is a great opportunity to network, learn, and get energized. The scholarships available can be a helpful tool for continued knowledge and education. Applications for scholarships and memberships are easily available on the PaLA website listed above.

Each year, the Pennsylvania Library Association (PaLA) recognizes people
from our state who have contributed significantly to the cause of libraries.
The responsibility of the Awards Committee is to choose recipients for the
awards. The awards will be presented during the PaLA Annual Conference at
the Valley Forge Convention Center/Scanticon Hotel & Conference Center in
Valley Forge on November 9-12. The committee solicits nominations from the
PaLA membership for the following awards:

* Distinguished Service Award

* Certificates of Merit

* New Librarian Honors Award

* Elected Official Award

* Library Support Staff Recognition Award

* Trustee of the Year Award

Detailed descriptions can be found on the PaLA website here
http://www.palibraries.org/about/awards.asp

A nomination form is attached.

Please consider nominating a worthy librarian for a 2008 award.

Bonnie Oldham
Awards Committee Chair 2008
University of Scranton

PaLA Awards Nominations

This is a reminder that invitation to apply for the 2008 Marietta Y. King and Alberta Walden Still Diversity Award for public service to older adults in a diverse community libraries is due on August 26th.

What creative/Best Practices programs has your library presented in the past year for the older adults in your community? Wouldn’t you like to share your innovative program with other libraries in Pennsylvania? Print out a copy; fill in the information about your program and send it in. We look forward to hearing from you.

The award presentations will be given at the PLA Annual Conference in Valley Forge in November.

Send the Marietta Y. King and Alberta Walden Still Award applications to me.

Claudia Koenig, Outreach Advisor
PA Dept. of Education
Office of Commonwealth Libraries
333 Market Street
Harrisburg, PA 17126-1745

Marietta Y. King and Alberta Walden Still Diversity Award 2008

What special programming has your library presented in the past year for the older adult population or for a culturally diverse community of older adults in your community?

The Innovative Services for an Aging Population: Commonwealth Libraries Advisory Committee (ISAP) is seeking to recognize a Pennsylvania public library that has promoted library services to a culturally diverse population of older adults.

ISAP along with AARP is also interested in recognizing and promoting library services for older adults in Pennsylvania. These awards presented by AARP PA will recognize public libraries that are small, medium or large that have presented innovative and/or creative programming for older adults.

Attached please find applications. The applications must be received by August 26, 2008 to be considered.

Take a look at the award applications attached, print out a copy, fill in the information about your special programming and send the application back.

The AARP applications should be returned to the AARP Office in Harrisburg -

AARP Pennsylvania
30 North 3rd Street
Suite 750
Harrisburg, PA 17101

AARP Public Library Service For Older Adults Award 2008
AARP Library Services For Older Adults Award Application Form 2008

PLA Awards honor excellence in public library service by recognizing libraries and individuals whose service to the community is extraordinary.  Many awards include significant cash prizes and are highly competitive.  All award winners will be honored at the 2008 ALA Annual Conference in Anaheim.

The deadline for applications is Monday, December 3.  All applications must be submitted online prior to the deadline in order to be considered.  Visit www.pla.org for applications and additional information.

The Distinguished Service Award honors an individual member of the Association for Library Service to Children who has made significant contributions to, and an impact on, library services to children and/or ALSC. The recipient receives $1,000 and an engraved pin at the ALSC Membership Meeting during the ALA Annual Conference.

Individuals nominated may be chosen from any facet of library services to children. The designee may be a practicing librarian in a public or school library, a library or information science educator, a member of the library press, or an editor or other employee of a publishing house. The individual may be active or retired or retired and active!

Visit the following link for additional information and nomination form:
Distinguished Service Award

The deadline for receipt of the nominations is December 3rd.

Feel free to contact Steven Herb, Distinguished Service Award Committee Chair, with any questions.  He can be reached by phone: 814.863.2141 or email: slh18@psu.edu, sherb@dom.edu.

Call for Nominations for the 2008 Thomson Gale Award for Excellence in Reference and Adult Library Services

View the following document for additional information:
2008 Thomas Gale Award

It’s that time again — to think about planning to submit an application to receive a Marketing for Lifelong Learning Award next year.

The four documents you will need to have handy when you apply next May are available below. In the meantime, consider marketing your library as the place for lifelong learning. The award is based upon your marketing activities from September 2007 through April 2008.

If you are attending the PaLA Conference in October, you might want to attend the Sunday, October 14, 2:00 PM program presented by this year’s Marketing for Lifelong Learning Award winners. The presenters will have much to share about how their library won this special award.

State Awards for Library Marketing Handout
Criteria for Selecting the Marketing Winner
Authorization for Request
Library Marketing Award Application

Bonnie Young
Head of Public Libraries and Professional Development
(717) 783-5732
boyoung@state.pa.us

Library Journal’s annual award for the Best Small Library in America, cosponsored by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, was founded to encourage and showcase the exemplary work of these libraries. Now in its fourth year, the award honors the public library that most profoundly demonstrates outstanding service to populations of 25,000 or less (see the Guidelines below).  The winning library will receive a $15,000 cash award, a feature story in the February 1, 2008 issue of Library Journal, membership and conference costs for two library representatives to attend the Public Library Association Biannual Conference in 2008, and a gala reception at the conference.

Visit the following link for more information, submission requirements and eligibility requirements: Guidelines

Send nominations, postmarked by the November 5, 2007 deadline, to:

Library Journal’s Award for the
Best Small Library in America
c/o Library Journal
360 Park Avenue South
New York, NY 10010

If you have any questions regarding the submission process, please contact Rebecca Miller by email: miller@reedbusiness.com or phone: 646-746-6725.

We need your Best Practices Award entries.
Why? Because we want to have solid proof that Pennsylvania libraries are excelling at early learning programming and making a difference for the future of Pennsylvania. And that because of your impact you are deserving of continued and increased funding at all levels. Now is the time to share your Best Practices.

The PaLA Best Practices Awards are due by Thursday, November 1, 2007.

Please view the following document for additional information and the awards application:
Best Practices Awards

Please send all email applications to:
Natonia Palladino at npalladino@pposinc.com.

Please send all hard copy applications to:
Natonia Palladino
PPO&S
122 State Street
Harrisburg, PA 17101

If you have any questions, please call or e-mail me:
Paula Gilbert
PaLA Public Relations/Marketing Chairman
pgilbert@yorklibraries.org