Library staff members work tirelessly to create inventive and powerful programs that meet the needs of their communities, and it’s time for them to be recognized. The American Library Association (ALA) is now accepting nominations for its 2016 ALA Excellence in Library Programming Award.
The $5,000 award, supported by ALA’s Cultural Communities Fund, is granted to a library that executed a program or program series that met a community need, created an impact and encouraged community participation, planning or sponsorship.
All types of libraries, including public, academic, school and special libraries, are encouraged to apply, but the nominated program or program series must have been held for a public audience and taken place between Sept. 1, 2014 and Aug. 31, 2015.
Nominate your library or a library that has excelled in programming by filling out ALA's nomination form before the deadline, Dec. 1. More information can be found on ALA's website.
Last year’s winner, Oklahoma State University Library, partnered with a local library to address an environmental concern. The university library has offered Science Cafés — informal programs delivered by scientists who present relevant research — since 2012. But after nearly twice the average number of participants attended a 2014 Science Café about hydraulic fracturing, OSU Library reached out to Stillwater Public Library to offer a program series that discusses the growing concerns of safety and the environment after Oklahoma’s surge of earthquakes.
“After tabulating the program evaluation results, our community’s desire for timely information on this topic became even more apparent,” said Karen Neurohr, OSU’s Science Café coordinator and community outreach and assessment librarian. “We were compelled to listen to our community and help fulfill their need for scientific information about hydraulic fracturing and oil and gas drilling.”
After winning the award, Neurohr and Tracy Englert, the creator and coordinator for the Cook Library Science Cafés, presented an ALA webinar explaining how to bring Science Cafés to communities.
OSU Library staff members also attended the 2015 ALA Annual Conference in San Francisco to receive the award. This year’s winner will be presented the award at the 2016 ALA conference in Orlando, Fla. from June 23 to 28.
