PLA Award Application

The Public Library Association (PLA) is now accepting applications for the 2008 PLA Awards. Members can nominate their colleagues and libraries for PLA Awards through the PLA Web site, http://www.pla.org/. The deadline for submitting an application is December 3, 2007.

The PLA Awards are designed to highlight the best in public library service. The awards honor those providing public library service whose vision and accomplishments are extraordinary and deserve recognition by their peers.

PLA Awards include:

• Advancement of Literacy Award, honoring a publisher, bookseller, hardware and/or software dealer, foundation or similar group (i.e. not an individual) that has made a significant contribution to the advancement of adult literacy;
• Allie Beth Martin Award, honoring a librarian who, in a public library setting, has demonstrated extraordinary range and depth of knowledge about books or other library materials and has distinguished ability to share that knowledge;
• Baker & Taylor Entertainment Audio Music/Video Product Award, promotes the development of a circulating Audio Music/Video collection in a public library
• Charlie Robinson Award, 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, 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, honors a public library serving a population of 10,000 or less that demonstrates excellence of service to its community.
  Grow Your Own @ your library Institutional Scholarship, reimburses public libraries employees’ course tuition costs at the undergraduate or graduate level.
• Highsmith Library Innovation Award, recognizes a library’s innovative and creative service program to the community.

An award jury appointed by the PLA President will review each nomination. The award juries will review the applications and select a recipient at the ALA 2008 Midwinter Meeting. Award winners will be announced in February 2008, and each award will be presented at the PLA President’s Reception and Awards Presentation held during the ALA 2008 Annual Conference.

For more information, contact the PLA office, 800-545-2433, ext. 5PLA or by e-mail pla@ala.org. To apply or nominate a colleague for an award, visit PLA’s Web site at http://www.pla.org/. PLA is a division of the American Library Association. PLA’s core purpose is to strengthen public libraries and their contribution to the communities they serve, and its mission is to enhance the development and effectiveness of public library staff and public library services