Call for BCLA Award Nominations

April 26, 2021

The BC Library Association invites the library community, partners, and stakeholders to submit nominations for the BCLA Awards.

BCLA Awards are an important way to recognise the work being done in the library sector, and are a significant avenue for sharing innovative ways to build new library practises. The BCLA Board hopes you will enjoy considering recipients and submitting nominations.

Please access the form and submit your application for the BCLA Awards:

https://bclaconnect.ca/bcla-awards/

The deadline for submissions is noon on May 7th, 2021.

Awards will be announced at the BCLA virtual Awards Ceremony, June 16th, 2021. The Awards ceremony will begin at 6pm and the “Waiting Room” will open at 5:30pm.

BCLA gives three awards per year.

BCLA Eureka Award

This award is given to an individual or organization that has created an innovative approach to address a barrier, solve a problem, provide a powerful new insight, or introduce an original idea in the library field.

This is an award for thinkers, analysers, innovators, dreamers, and doers. An individual winner may have completely solved a problem or fully developed a new idea or may have been a significant contributor to a larger team project. The winner may be an organization responsible for a considerable contribution to the library community, a contribution that helps the library community as a whole and strengthens the “idea” of library in our society. Or the recipient may not be from the library community but has made a notable contribution to the relevance of libraries.

The BCLA Eureka Award grows out of BCLA’s commitment to analyzing, supporting and participating in the ongoing evolution of libraries and library services. It is linked to BCLA’s stated core value to support and encourage creativity and innovation.

BCLA Champion of Intellectual Freedom Award

This award is given to an individual or organization that demonstrates significant advancement of intellectual freedom in the public realm for the benefit of British Columbians.

This is an award for librarians and library staff that champion intellectual freedom issues in their libraries, their communities, their province, or their country. The winner could also be a journalist, or media outlet, an organization dedicated to free speech and challenging expected norms, a lawyer, policy maker, or community leader.

The BCLA Champion of Intellectual Freedom Award grows out of the Association’s commitment to uphold the principles and tenets of intellectual freedom including the right to seek, receive, hold, and disseminate information from all points of view—a foundation of a democratic society.

BCLA Building Better Communities Award

This award is for an individual or organization responsible for increasing the relevancy and impact of library service through partnership, collaboration, and building trust where little had previously existed. The winner may be engaged in service delivery, professional development, marketing, or community-led library work. Achievements may originate with a library or an individual, or with a community partner.

The BCLA Building Better Communities Award evolves from the Association’s commitment to open access and inclusion. BCLA advocates for libraries and library services for all British Columbians. This includes barrier-free facilities, open and equitable access to library services, and environments free of racism, religious intolerance, and violence. BCLA believes that people, communities, and organizations need universal access to information, ideas, and works of the imagination for their social, cultural, educational, democratic and economic well-being.

If you have questions, please contact BCLA Executive Director Annette DeFaveri at execdir@bcla.bc.ca

BCLA Awards Committee
Natalie Porter
Ean Henninger
Patricia Lesku
Chris Middlemass
Annette DeFaveri (ex officio)

(Via British Columbia Library Association)