Awards Committee
New Awards
The Awards Committee, with input from librarians and CAL interest groups, added four new awards for 2008:
We also combined several awards to make a broader and more inclusive Library Partner Award.
Awards List
Adult Services Award 
This award may be presented to an individual CAL Member, a group of library personnel, or an academic, special, public, or school librarian within the state of Colorado. To acknowledge accomplishments in initiating, developing and implementing an imaginative and creative adult program or service, maintaining an outstanding record of service to adult library patrons, and contributing significantly to the support of Adult Services Librarians and their mission. The nomination should include:
- Proof of their ability to establish relationships with the adult population
- Value to their position and to the library profession
- Specific details regarding their program, service, or contribution
- Impact of efforts on adult library users and the profession
- Any other relevant data
Career Achievement Award
To acknowledge an academic, special, public, or school librarian within Colorado who has demonstrated continuous commitment and dedication to the library profession. This award can be given to someone currently employed or retired. If still working in the library field, this person must be a member of the Colorado Association of Libraries. If retired, membership in CAL is not required; however, retirement must have occurred within the last three (3) years. Nominations will be evaluated based on the following criteria:
- Contributions to librarianship within the state of Colorado, as well as nationally and internationally
- Evidence of supporting and upholding the principles of librarianship
- Impact of the nominee’s career on other library employees and/or library users
Children’s Services Award
This award may be presented to an individual CAL Member, a group of library personnel, or an academic, special, public, or school librarian within the state of Colorado. To acknowledge accomplishments in: initiating, developing and implementing an imaginative and creative children’s (birth – 10 years old) program or service, maintaining an outstanding record of service to young library patrons, and contributing significantly to the support of Children’s Services Librarians and their mission. The nomination should include:
- Proof of their ability to build positive relationships with children
- Value to their position and to the library profession
- Specific details regarding their program, service, or contribution
- Impact of efforts on the target audience and the profession
- Any other relevant data
Colorado Librarian of the Year
To recognize exceptional achievement during the past year (June of the previous year through May of the current year) by a librarian within the state of Colorado. Factors to be considered include:
- Improvement of library service in Colorado
- Superior customer service and evidence of how the librarian has reached library patrons, students, or other clients
- Development of innovative approaches to library and information issues
- Contribution to the development of the library profession through participation in the association, contributions to literature, teaching and/or other related activities
Any academic, special, public or school librarian within the state of Colorado who is a CAL member is eligible for this award.
Colorado Library of the Year
This award honors exceptional accomplishments by a Colorado academic, special, public, or school library during the past year (June of the previous year through May of the current year). Nominations will be evaluated on the following criteria:
- Demonstration of noteworthy customer service
- Community outreach and programming that results in significant circulation increases, library visits, and/or library card registrations
- Creative and effective partnerships with teachers, faculty, or others working within the same institution
- Innovative ideas and contributions that enhance the library experience
- Significant leadership in support of Colorado libraries
- Creative use of resources (staff, money, community contacts, supplies, volunteers, etc.) that allows the library to provide excellent service
- Nominees may be a library district/system or a branch within, a school library, an academic library, or a special library
- Libraries may be self-nominated
Distinguished Service Award
To recognize a CAL member who has provided exceptional service to the Association over several years. The nomination should outline the contributions to the Association and contain a statement expressing the rationale for the nomination.
Jean Maio Award for Excellence in Adult Literacy
To recognize excellence in literacy programming by a Colorado academic, special, public or school library, or a library in collaboration with another agency, during the past year (June of the previous year through May of the current year). Priority is given to a program that serves the economically disadvantaged in a setting where families work on literacy needs. The winner of the award will receive a $500 donation from the Maio family.
Library Collaboration Award
To recognize achievements made planning and implementing collaborative library programs or services between libraries of any type within the state of Colorado. This award encourages collaboration and partnerships by highlighting library programs or services that greatly impact or enrich services to diverse library communities.
- This award is open to all school libraries, public libraries, academic libraries, and special libraries within the state of Colorado.
- A collaborative partnership must exist between at least 2 different types of libraries, i.e., school-public, public-medical, school-academic, etc.
- Nominations will be evaluated based on the innovative nature of the collaboration and the impact on the desired audience(s).
Library Design Award
To recognize an architect or architectural firm for the design of a new or remodeled academic, special, public, or school library facility. The nomination should demonstrate how the design accomplishes the following:
- Meets the needs of diverse populations;
- Supports a variety of activities;
- Is aesthetically pleasing;
- Is environmentally sound;
- Incorporates the latest technology;
- Results from collaborative planning among architects, librarians and community members or library users
Documentation should include a visual presentation where appropriate.
Library Partner Award
To recognize a non-library organization, business or individual that has partnered with any type of Colorado library or libraries to significantly enhance library service for a library community or group of library users.
This award is for a partnership that is an example/model of community support of library services.
Examples of partnerships include, but are not limited to the following:
- A group, individual, organization or business that has made a significant donation to enhance library services
- An organization or individual who is associated with the media and who has helped strengthen public awareness of Colorado libraries
- A business or vendor representative who provides outstanding service to the Colorado library community
- An individual who made significant contributions toward strengthening Colorado libraries.
The nomination should outline what the person/outside agency/non-library entity has done, or made possible to occur to be accomplished, and the specific impact of that accomplishment.
Library Website Award
To recognize an exceptional and innovative Colorado library Website. Nominations will be evaluated based on:
- Intuitive navigation
- Innovative design - appealing graphic design and professional appearance
- Technically sound - clean code; pages load quickly; no dead links
- Current technology trends such as RSS feeds, video content, etc.
- Effective attention to library services, programs, and collections
The website may be for an academic, special, public, or school library and the nomination may include intranet or staff-only web pages in addition to the public interface.
Literary Award
To acknowledge an individual in Colorado who promotes library services or library professionalism with an outstanding literary contribution that is unique, creative, innovative, and/or informative. Content of this literary contribution must be related to, or have as its subject, the enhancement of library services or the enhancement of library professionalism. This work may include, but is not limited to: presentations in state level and national conferences, or published works within a newsletter, bulletin, book, journal, etc.
Outstanding Library Board Member Award
To recognize a board member, current or past by no more than two years, who serves or has served on a library board in Colorado and has provided exemplary service to the specific library or library district and their library community during their term on the board. The nomination should include the following information:
- Nominee’s length of service
- Value to the library board, specific contributions, impact of efforts on staff, patrons and library programs
- Other relevant data
A thorough explanation of the board member’s contributions should accompany the nomination including the changes to library service that resulted from their work. If nominating an entire library board, the nomination should outline specifically what the board has done, or made possible and the specific impact of that accomplishment on the individual library or library district as well as the library community. No board or board member may receive this award more than once every five years.
Outstanding Library Volunteer Award
To recognize a volunteer currently serving in an academic, special, public, or school library in Colorado who has provided exemplary service over several years. The nomination should include the following information:
- Nominee's length of service
- Nominee’s value to the library
- The uniqueness of his/her contributions
- The impact of the volunteer’s efforts on staff and library users
- Any other relevant data (such as special circumstances, challenges, etc.)
Membership in CAL is not required to be eligible for this award.
Outstanding School Administrator Award
To recognize significant contributions to a school library program within the state of Colorado. The nominee must be a building or district-level administrator. The nomination should outline what the person accomplished and the effects of that accomplishment for students and for the school library. Membership in CAL is not required to be eligible for this award. No administrator may receive this award more than once every five years.
Outstanding School Library Award
To recognize the CAL/CASL member whose Colorado school library at the elementary or the secondary level best exemplifies excellence in:
- Instruction and student achievement
- Excellence in management and innovation in services
- Leadership in school and community
An endorsed school librarian must direct the school library receiving the award.
Project of the Year
To recognize an innovative project, including a technology project, within a single academic, special, public or school library or among several libraries, which furthers library service within the state of Colorado. The nominee should meet the following criteria:
- Successful completion of a project that significantly improves library service within a specific library or library system by creatively changing a major process or collaborating with the community; or
- Successful completion of a project that significantly improves library services across a multi-type library region by the creative collaboration of the various library entities; or
- Successful completion of a project that significantly improves library services in the state by the creative collaboration of a large percentage of libraries across the state; or
- A successfully implemented technology project that provides or improves library services and demonstrates the value of technology in the arena of libraries and librarianship
Nomination must be specific as to what service was improved and how, the impact to the service area and customers, who collaborated, and why was this project considered to be particularly innovative. Projects completed or implemented during the past year (June of the previous year through May of the current year) are eligible.
Services to Diverse Populations Award
This award may be presented to an individual CAL Member, a group of library personnel, or an academic, special, public, or school library within the state of Colorado. The selection criteria are as follows:
- A commitment to the principle of diversity
- Leadership and significant contributions to the regional, statewide or national awareness of diversity
- Implementation of a successful program that promotes diversity or provides significant library services to diverse populations
Teen Services Award
This award may be presented to an individual CAL Member, a group of library personnel, or an academic, special, public, or school librarian within the state of Colorado. To acknowledge accomplishments in: initiating, developing and implementing an imaginative and creative teens (11 – 18 years old) program or service, maintaining an outstanding record of service to teen library patrons, and contributing significantly to the support of Teen’s Services Librarians and their mission. The nomination should include:
- Proof of their ability establish rapport with the teen population
- Value to their position and to the library profession
- Specific details regarding their program, service, or contribution
- Impact of efforts on the target audience and the profession
- Any other relevant data
Committee Awards
** Lucy Schweers Award for Excellence in Paralibrarianship
To recognize a paralibrarian who displays outstanding leadership and service through the Colorado Association of Libraries and the CAL Paralibrarian Division, as well as excellence in the library, information or media field within the State of Colorado. The award will be presented to an individual who:
- Has been a participating member of CAL and the Paralibrarian Division for three consecutive years;
- Advances and strengthens the image of paralibrarians;
- Demonstrates pride and excellence in his/her field of expertise.
- Has not previously been a recipient of the Lucy Schweers Award
** Julie J. Boucher Award for Intellectual Freedom
To recognize a resident or organization of Colorado who has made an outstanding contribution to the cause of intellectual freedom in the State of Colorado. The nomination should outline contributions which demonstrate a clear understanding of the principles, the nature, the responsibilities and implications of the First Amendment.
The CAL Intellectual Freedom Committee chooses the award winner. For additional information, please contact: Karen Bary, CAL Intellectual Freedom Committee Chair, karen@bary.net
** Legislative Award
To recognize any legislator(s) or legislative committee for exemplary work benefiting libraries in the State of Colorado.
The CAL Legislative Committee chooses the award winner. For additional information, please contact: Dave Sanger, CAL Legislative Committee Chair at dsanger401@aol.com
For information on any awards except those selected by committee other than CAL Awards Committee (see ** descriptions above), contact the Awards Committee: Anna Winkel (Chair), awinkel@gcld.org. See the 2008 Awards Flyer for more information.
The CAL Awards Committee bases award winners on the nomination materials submitted. All committee decisions are final.