Event PLA Awards application/nomination deadline

Nominate a Winner for a PLA Award

CHICAGO - The Public Library Association (PLA) is now accepting applications and nominations for the 2010 PLA Awards. Members can nominate their colleagues and libraries via the PLA Web site, www.pla.org.  The deadline for submitting an application is Dec. 14, 2009.
PLA awards include the:

•    Allie Beth Martin Award, which honors a librarian who, in a public library setting, has demonstrated extraordinary range and depth of knowledge about books or other library materials and is distinguished by the ability to share that knowledge;
•    Baker & Taylor Entertainment Audio Music/Video Product Award, which promotes the development of a circulating Audio Music/Video collection in a public library
•    Charlie Robinson Award, which honors a public library director who, over a period of seven years, has been a risk taker, an innovator and/or a change agent in a public library.
•    DEMCO New Leaders Travel Grant, which serves to enhance the professional development of public librarians new to the field by making possible their attendance at major professional development activities.
•    EBSCO Excellence in Small and/or Rural Library Service Award, which honors a public library serving a population of 10,000 or less that demonstrates excellence of service to its community.
•    Gordon M. Conable Award, which honors 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.
•    Highsmith Library Innovation Award, which recognizes a library’s innovative and creative service program to the community.
•    Polaris Innovation in Technology John Iliff Award, which honors a library worker, librarian, or library that has used technology and innovative thinking to improve library services.
•    Romance Writers of America Library Grant, which provides a public library the opportunity to build or expand its romance fiction collection and/or host romance fiction programming.

PLA award juries, appointed by the PLA president, will review the entries and select recipients at the ALA 2010 Midwinter Meeting.  Award winners will be announced in February 2010, and each recipient will be honored at the PLA President’s Reception and Awards Presentation held during the ALA 2010 Annual Conference.

For more information, contact the PLA office,(800) 545-2433, ext. 5PLA, or by e-mail, pla@ala.org (Julianna Kloeppel, Program Coordinator).  To apply or nominate a colleague for an award, visit PLA’s Web site at www.pla.org. PLA is a division of the American Library Association.

deadline extended 11/10/09