[PL-Directors] FW: Best Small Library in America 2008 Nominations

[Jim Scheppke]

Dear Directors: Ann Kim from Library Journal requested that I forward this
information to you.  --> Jim

Jim Scheppke, State Librarian
Oregon State Library
250 Winter St. NE
Salem, OR 97301
503-378-4367
(fax) 503-585-8059
jim.b.scheppke at state.or.us





**
Best Small Library in America Award Nomination Guidelines
Postmark deadline: November 3, 2008

Library Journal's annual award for the Best Small Library in America,
cosponsored by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, was founded to encourage
and showcase the exemplary work of these libraries. Now in its fifth year,
the award honors the public library that most profoundly demonstrates
outstanding service to populations of 25,000 or less (see below for
eligibility).

The winning library will receive a $15,000 cash award, a feature story in
the February 1, 2009, Library Journal, membership and conference costs for
two library representatives to attend the Public Library Association
Biannual Conference in 2010 in Portland, OR, and a gala reception at the
conference.

Starting with the 2009 award year, two finalist libraries will be awarded
with membership and conference costs for two library representatives to
attend the PLA conference and the gala reception in 2010, and they will be
given special mention in Library Journal.

Members of the editorial board of Library Journal, librarians from around
the country, and a representative from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation,
will judge nominations based on key factors, including:
* Creativity in developing services and programs that can be replicated by
other libraries, including outreach to special populations
* Innovation in introducing and supporting public access computing
* Success in educating patrons in computer use, and measuring the results of
technology usage  
* Use of technology to expand the reach of library services
* Demonstrated community support
* Sustained cooperation with other libraries
* Partnerships with other agencies and businesses
* Increase in library use, particularly by new users
* Evidence of library's role as community center
Keeping the factors above in mind, please tell us how, in the last two
years, you have raised the profile of the library in your community, reached
out to new users and remote users, and used technology to support and grow
patron access to materials and information. Please also describe the use of
public access computers (PACs) in your library and how you anticipate
sustaining PACs and adapting to the next generation of users. In your
description of your collaborations with others, please give examples of how
the library has become a model for the partnering organization and how the
organization has become a model for the library. Please highlight innovative
approaches to traditional problems, including seemingly small fixes that
work.

Submission Requirements:

Anyone can nominate a library‹the library administration itself, patrons,
members of the community, library peers, etc.

There is no entry fee, but each entry must include the following
information:

1) Name, address, phone number, and email of nominee and the name of the
contact person, as well as contact information for the submitter if
different from the nominee.

2) A written explanation of up to two pages (or a list of bulleted narrative
points) that clearly enumerates how the library's accomplishments fit the
criteria for the award listed above. (Note: Entries that describe programs
and their effects on the community will be especially helpful to the judges
in rendering a decision. Supporting materials, such as brochures,
testimonials, press clippings, etc., may be included and are helpful, but
they are less important than the written narrative.)

3) Photo(s) of library, staff, and patrons, if possible.

4) Letters of reference from two library peers. (A library peer is someone
who is knowledgeable about libraries in general and knows the nominated
library well, but who is not employed by the library in any capacity.
Examples include librarians at neighboring libraries or colleagues at the
state association or the state library.)

5) Statistical data. On a separate sheet of paper please supply the
following information:
* Population served
* Total annual budget (if you are part of another body of government, note
if you pay utility bills, IT, etc.)
* Per capita budget
* Circulation  
* Materials budget (including electronic databases)
* Physical visits (door count)
* Virtual visits (e-use, if collecting this data)
* Number of public access computers per population served
* Number of days and hours of service per week
* Number of staff  
* Percentage of staff who are professional librarians.
Most libraries collect this data, but if you do not have all of these
statistics, then submit those the library does have. Also, please detail
whether the nominated library is a member of a consortium/county-wide
service district‹what services are provided by it (technology support,
training, databases, etc.), what role does the library play in it? The
judges do not make selections based on numbers, though they are helpful in
giving context to the written submission.

Eligibility Requirements:

1) A single library serving a community with a population of 25,000 or less
is eligible (latest Census).

2) Area library districts or systems may serve an aggregate population of
greater than 25,000, as long as the service area of the library includes an
area or a community with a population of 25,000 or less. The prize money
must be used to benefit that population.

3) A single county or town with a population over 25,000 that is served by
two or more library districts or systems operating entirely within the
bounds of the county or town may qualify as long as the service area of a
given library includes a rural area or a rural community or the population
of the library's jurisdiction is 25,000 or less. The prize money must be
used for that area.

4) A single community with a population greater than 25,000 and having a
library with one or more branches may qualify. The library must have a
service area that includes a rural area or community that does not exceed a
population of 25,000. The prize monies must be used only for the benefit of
the rural or community population under 25,000. Similarly a single community
with a population greater than 25,000, which also provide library service to
an adjoining community of 25,000 or less population by contract, may also be
eligible, provided the prize is used entirely to support the smaller
community.

5) A single community library serving a population greater than 25,000 and
not providing service to a rural area or to a rural community is not
eligible for the award.

6) Previous finalists are eligible. Previous winners are not eligible.

Send the nomination, postmarked deadline November 3, 2008, to:

Library Journal's Award for the
Best Small Library in America
c/o Ann Kim, Library Journal
360 Park Avenue South
New York, NY10010

If you have any questions regarding the submission process, please contact
Rebecca Miller at miller at reedbusiness.com
<mailto:miller at reedbusiness.com?subject=Small_Library_Award>  or by phone at
646-746-6725.


------ End of Forwarded Message

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <https://omls.oregon.gov/pipermail/pl-directors/attachments/20080904/d0b0f8af/attachment.html>