It’s ALCTS preservation award nomination season! The deadline for nominations for all of these awards is December 1, 2016. If you know someone outstanding in the field, please get your nomination in on time. My favorite time of the year is when we honor, acknowledge and thank someone for their dedication to the field and to us all who work in it.

There are more ALCTS awards than are copied below, including awards for publication, innovation and collaboration. Please visit the ALCTS awards website for more information. Follow the links below for instructions for submitting nominations.

The Paul Banks and Carolyn Harris Preservation Award

This award was established to honor the memory of Paul Banks and Carolyn Harris, early leaders in library preservation. The award will be given to recognize the contribution of a professional preservation specialist who has been active in the field of preservation and/or conservation for library and/or archival materials.

Criteria

Criteria for selection of the winner will be determined by the person’s accomplishments, as they relate to preservation leadership in such activities as:

• leadership in professional associations at local, state, regional or national level;
• contributions to the development, application or utilization of new or improved methods, techniques and routines;
• evidence of studies or research in preservation;
• significant contribution to professional literature;
• training and mentoring in the field of preservation.

George Cunha and Susan Swartzburg Award

This award honors the memory of George Cunha and Susan Swartzburg, early leaders in cooperative preservation programming and strong advocates for collaboration in the field of preservation.

The award, sponsored by Hollinger Metal Edge, acknowledges and supports cooperative preservation projects and/or rewards individuals or groups that foster collaboration for preservation goals. Recipients of the award demonstrate vision, endorse cooperation, and advocate for the preservation of published and primary source resources that capture the richness of our cultural patrimony. The award recognizes the leadership and initiative required to build collaborative networks designed to achieve specific preservation goals. Since collaboration, cooperation, advocacy and outreach are key strategies that epitomize preservation, the award promotes cooperative efforts and supports equitable preservation among all libraries, archives and historical institutions.

Criteria

The award jury will consider:

• a project emphasizing collaboration or partnership
• collaboration extending the preservation vision beyond the circle of preservation specialists and foster action to raise awareness and set priorities, projects, and programs into motion
• nomination of an individual or group for cumulative achievement as a mentor or advocate of collaborative preservation.

Any person or group is eligible for this award; membership in the ALA organization is not required.

Jan Merrill-Oldham Professional Development Grant

The award was established in 2011 by the Preservation and Reformatting Section (PARS) of the Association for Library Collections & Technical Services (ALCTS) to honor the career and influence of Jan Merrill-Oldham, distinguished leader, author, and mentor in the field of library and archives preservation.

For three decades, Ms. Merrill-Oldham was instrumental in the development of standards and best practices, writing more than forty publications including co-authoring the Guide to the ANSI/NISO/LBI Library Binding Standard, a document used by almost all libraries and commercial library binders. Ms. Merrill-Oldham served on key committees within ALCTS, ALA, the Association of Research Libraries, the Council on Library and Information Resources, the National Information Standards Organization and many others. She educated and mentored countless preservation librarians and conservators and her support for students and dedication to the field serves as a model to all of us. In September of 2010, Ms. Merrill-Oldham announced her retirement after a long and notable career in library and archives preservation. In December 2010, she was named the recipient of the ALCTS Ross Atkinson Lifetime Achievement Award. This award recognizes Jan Merrill-Oldham’s wide ranging contributions, deep commitment to the field of library and archives preservation, and her undying support of young professionals by supporting participation in an ALA Annual Conference.

It is important however to encourage new and young preservation librarians and staff to further pursue their professional development. A significant part of that involvement is attending the ALA Annual Conference to network and learn from colleagues. Ms. Merrill-Oldham dedicated herself to mentoring young professionals and it is in recognition of that service that an award that supports professional development and involvement by librarians and paraprofessionals new to the preservation field be established.

The Jan Merrill-Oldham Professional Development Grant is awarded by the ALCTS Preservation and Reformatting Section to provide librarians and paraprofessionals new to the preservation field with the opportunity to attend a professional conference and encourages professional development through active participation at the national level. The grant is to be used for airfare, lodging, and registration fees to attend the ALA Annual Conference.

Criteria

Criteria for selection will be determined based on the following:

• Have five or fewer years of experience in the field of library and archives preservation.
• Currently work as a librarian or paraprofessional within a library or archives preservation department or who has preservation responsibilities within their institution, or a person currently enrolled in a preservation-related graduate program.
• Recommendations from colleagues.
• Express desire as stated in a short essay (up to 500 words) on the following theme:
  How would receiving the Jan Merrill-Oldham Professional Development Grant further your professional development goals?
• Willingness to participate in designated conference events:
  • Work with a member of the jury to identify relevant programs and interest group sessions to attend.
  • Attend the Preservation Administration Interest Group Meeting.
  • Attend a least one PARS discussion group meeting.
• Submit a summary of the recipient’s conference experience to the ALCTS News no later than 30 days after the conference.

Members of the sponsor or its affiliated organizations are not eligible.