Student Chapter of the Year Award Application Now Open

Apply now for the Student Chapter of the Year Award!

Has your student chapter been active in supporting member involvement and leadership?  Have you, or any of your individual members, been recognized for notable awards or achievements this past year?  And in general, have you and your members had an exemplary year of engagement and programming?  If so, apply now for the Student Chapter of the Year Award!

Purpose of the Award
This Award is presented in recognition of a chapter’s outstanding contributions to the American Library Association (ALA), their school, and the library/information science profession. The purpose of the award is to increase student involvement in ALA through student chapters, and to recognize future leaders.

Award and Award Criteria
All ALA Student Chapters in good standing are eligible to receive the ALA Student Chapter of the Year Award.  The selected Student Chapter will receive $1,000 to help defray travel expenses to ALA Annual; the winning chapter and the runner up will each receive a certificate. Both will be recognized at the NMRT Student Reception at the 2015 ALA Annual Conference in San Francisco, CA.

Nomination Form
To download the nomination form, and for more information on the form, please visit the NMRT Student Chapter of the Year Award website at http://www.ala.org/nmrt/oversightgroups/comm/awscotya/scotya. Please e-mail the completed form and any supporting documents in either Microsoft Word or Adobe PDF format to the committee chair, Michelle Demeter (mdemeter@fsu.edu). The deadline for submitting a completed nomination is March 2, 2015, 11:59pm EST.

If you have additional questions, please contact Michelle Demeter (mdemeter@fsu.edu).

Shirley Olofson Memorial Award Application

Consider applying for the following award, which can help you pay for the ALA Annual Conference next summer!

Application form: http://www.ala.org/nmrt/initiatives/applyforfunds/shirleyolofson
Application deadline: December 15, 2014

The Shirley Olofson Memorial Award is presented annually in honor of Shirley Olofson, a well-respected former NMRT president, who died during her term in office. The award, which is intended to help defray costs to attend the ALA Annual Conference, will be presented in the form of a check for $1,000 during the 2015 Annual Conference in San Francisco, CA. The winner will be chosen in January before the ALA Midwinter Meeting. All applicants will be notified in March.

Requirements

Applicants must be members of ALA and NMRT, participate actively in the library profession, show promise or activity in the area of professional development, have valid financial need, and have not attended more than five ALA annual conferences.

Instructions

Fill out the application form at http://www.ala.org/nmrt/initiatives/applyforfunds/shirleyolofson. Include a current resume that lists educational background and degrees, library positions you’ve held, activity in ALA, NMRT, or other ALA groups, activity in other library associations, and participation in scholarly activity.

Write a short essay or paragraph that explains the reasons you are applying for this award. Address your financial need. (Specify what expenses are funded by your employer or other resources, e.g. registration, travel, lodging, and meals, etc. and what expenses you pay on your own.) Please also consider addressing NMRT President Megan Hodge’s theme, “Be Influential at All Stages of Your Career,” in your essay.

If you do not receive an email acknowledgment within two business days after submitting this application form, please send an email to Rachel Jaffe at jaffer@ucsc.edu