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PLA 2009 Award Winners Represent Excellence in Public Libraries

The Public Library Association (PLA) has announced the winners of eight awards, honoring the best in public library service and innovation.

The Advancement of Literacy Award recognizes a publisher, bookseller, software dealer, foundation or similar group that has made a significant contribution toward the advancement of adult literacy. This year’s winner, Project Read, is the adult literacy program of the San Francisco Public Library. Project Read helps English-speaking adults improve their basic reading and writing skills so they may access greater opportunities in their lives.

The Allie Beth Martin Award recognizes a public librarian for demonstrating a range and depth of knowledge about books and other library materials and the distinguished ability to share that knowledge. This year’s award of $3,000, donated by Baker & Taylor, will be presented to Barbara Clubb, city librarian at the Ottawa Public Library in Ottawa, Canada.

The Baker & Taylor Entertainment Audio Music/Video Product Award Grant includes $2,500 in audio music and video products for the circulating collection of the selected recipient. This year’s winner, Curtis Memorial Library in Brunswick, Maine, will use the award to purchase a selection of foreign films and will highlight this collection through the presentation of a public film festival series throughout winter at the Library

The Charlie Robinson Award, sponsored by Baker & Taylor, recognizes a public library director for the implementation of an innovative change. This year’s recipient is Donna Nicely, director of Nashville (Tenn.) Public Library for her ability to strengthen the library’s ties with local government and community organizations.

The DEMCO New Leaders Travel Grant provides a total of $5,000 in awards to public librarians new to the field by making possible their attendance at major professional development activities. This year’s grantees are: Carolyn Sears, Chesterfield County (Va.) Public Library; Leslie Partridge, Lee County (Ga.) Library; Craig L. Scott, Gadsden (Ala.) Public Library; Odette Batis, Richmond (Calif.) Public Library; and Sarah Hammershaimb, West Chicago (Ill.) Public Library.

The EBSCO Excellence in Small and/or Rural Public Library Service Award honors a public library serving a population of 10,000 or fewer that demonstrates excellence in service to its community. The John C. Fremont Library District in Florence, Colo., will receive this year’s $1,000 award, donated by EBSCO Information Services.

The Gordon M. Conable Award is designed to honor a public library staff member, a library trustee or a public library that has demonstrated a commitment to intellectual freedom and the Library Bill of Rights and consists of a $1,500 honorarium. The Scottsdale (Ariz.) Public Library will receive this year’s award.

The Highsmith Library Innovation Award honors a public library’s innovative or creative service program with a plaque and a $2,000 honorarium from the award’s sponsor, Highsmith, Inc. This year’s recipient is the Princeton (N.J.) Public Library.

The Polaris Innovation in Technology John Iliff Award honors the life and accomplishments of John Iliff, early adopter and champion of technology in public libraries. This award provides a $1,000 honorarium, a plaque and a bouquet of roses for the workplace to a library worker, librarian or library that has used technology and innovative thinking as a tool to improve services to public library users. This year’s recipient is Gail Borden Public Library in Elgin, Ill.

PLA, along with the award sponsors, will recognize all of the award winners on Monday, July 13, as a part of the PLA President’s Program featuring Cokie Roberts at the 2009 ALA Annual Conference in Chicago.

Winners of PLA Feature Article Contest Announced

The Public Library Association (PLA) has announced the 2009 winners of its annual feature article contest. The contest awards cash prizes to the authors of the best feature articles written by public librarians and published in the previous year’s issues of Public Libraries magazine.

The first prize award of $500 goes to Julie Scordato, youth services leader, teen services at the Columbus (Ohio) Metropolitan Library, for her article “Gaming as a Library Service," which appeared in the January/February 2008 issue.

Second prize of $300 goes to James Keller, director of marketing and communications for the Queens (N.Y.) Library System, for his article, "Branding and Marketing Your Library,” which appeared in the September/October 2008 issue.

The Public Libraries Advisory Committee selects the winners of the contest. The prizes will be awarded during the PLA President’s Program at the on Monday, July 13, at the ALA Annual Conference in Chicago. Librarians interested in being considered for the 2010 awards can visit http://pla.org/ala/mgrps/divs/pla/plapublications/publiclibraries/contest.cfm for submission guidelines, or e-mail khughes@ala.org for more information.

Leadership Fellows Scholarship Awardees

Congratulations to Chris Bates, Senior Manager of Library Experiences at the Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County in North Carolina and Lynn Hoffman, Information Services Coordinator at the Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Both have been selected to receive PLA Leadership Fellowship awards. Chris will be attending the Leading Organizational Change program at the Wharton School of Business, University of Pennsylvania. Lynn will be attending Positive Leadership: Creating Spectacular Organizational Successes at the Ross School of Business, University of Michigan.

Brian A. Bannon, chief of branches for San Francisco Public Library, was awarded a PLA Leadership Fellows scholarship for the Leading Organizational Change program at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.