Awards and Honours
Award of Excellence
ABOUT THE AWARD
The Alberta Library Trustees Association (ALTA) Board of Directors established the Award of Excellence to recognize Library Boards that have enabled and supported their libraries to provide on-going excellent service to their communities over a five-year operational time period. The successful candidate(s) will be notified and be given the choice of where they would like the award presented to them. The award may be presented to the board in its home community at mutually convenient time as soon as possible after the award is announced. Up to two awards will be presented each year:
- one to libraries serving populations more than 20,000
- one to libraries serving populations less than 20,000
GUIDELINES
- Only library boards that are members of ALTA are eligible to receive the award.
- Nominations for the Award of Excellence may be made by any of the following: staff or board of the library itself, staff or board of the regional library system to which it belongs, the municipality that it serves, or members of the community.
- The nomination shall include a nomination form and a letter (500 words max) that provides a clear picture of how the Board has supported and contributed to the success of its library in meeting community needs.
- Winners will be selected from nominations received by a committee appointed by the Board of Directors of the Alberta Library Trustees Association.
- Notices requesting nominations for the Award of Excellence shall be sent to member library boards after the November meeting of the ALTA Board and nominations will remain open until March 31st of the every year.
- No late nominations will be considered.
CRITERIA
In general, eligible Library Boards should have:
- Enabled and supported their libraries in the provision of on-going excellent library service to their community over a five year time span
- Identified present or future needs in their community and implemented services/projects to meet those needs
In particular, Boards will have served their communities in one or more of the following ways:
- Assessed and responded to future and changing needs or circumstances in their community
- Exhibited innovation and creativity in meeting community needs
- Embarked on successful fundraising activities to support projects/services that better meet community needs
- Established mutually beneficial partnerships with other community organizations through shared planning and sponsorship of services and programs
- Enabled their libraries to expand their services/programs to meet community needs
Lois Hole Lifetime Achievement Award
ABOUT THE AWARD
The Alberta Library Trustees Association (ALTA) Board of Directors established the Lois Hole Life Membership Award to recognize Albertans who have made a significant contribution to libraries and library trusteeship. The Board of Directors reserves the right to determine how many Lois Hole Life Memberships, if any, are to be awarded each year. The Alberta Library Trustees Association established the Lois Hole Award in 2001 in honour of the passion that our Lieutenant-Governor had for the role libraries play in our society and in gratitude for her support for libraries in Alberta. The successful candidate(s) will be notified and be given the choice of where they would like the award presented to them.
GUIDELINES
- Nominations for Lois Hole Life membership may be made by the Board of the Alberta Library Trustees Association or by any member board in good standing with the Alberta Library Trustees Association.
- Notices requesting nominations for Honorary Life Membership shall be sent to member library boards after the fall meeting of the ALTA Board.
- Trustees currently sitting on the ALTA Board of Directors are not eligible.
- The nominee does not have to be serving as a trustee at the time of the nomination.
- Completed nomination forms shall be accompanied by a résumé of the nominee’s career and assessment of his/her contributions to the library community.
- Winners will be selected from nominations received by a committee appointed by the Board of Directors of the Alberta Library Trustees Association.
CRITERIA In general, persons eligible should have:
- provided leadership in the library community;
- served as trustees in public libraries or public library systems in the province, or made a significant contribution to the library community; and
- served libraries in capacities beyond their local library or system board.
In particular, persons eligible may have achieved one or more of the following:
- fulfilled offices in the Alberta Library Trustees Association;
- contributed to the organization of the Alberta Library Conference;
- served exceptionally long terms in library trusteeship;
- provided leadership in the establishment of new libraries and library systems;
- participated in major innovations in library management and operation;
- served in a recognized provincial or national library related organization;
- promoted literacy;
- contributed significantly to trustee education; and/or
- have made significant contributions to the literature which supports the efficiency, management and growth of the library community.
Lorne McRae Intellectual Freedom Fund
ABOUT THE AWARD
The Lorne MacRae Intellectual Freedom Award is presented annually at the Alberta Library Conference to recognize and exemplifies the values and beliefs of Lorne MacRae and encourages, enlightens and empowers the importance of Intellectual Freedom.
For Lorne MacRae, “the issue of intellectual freedom has never been confined to the realm of public education and libraries. He sees this issue as integral to a higher moral order which must operate within a society in order for democracy to flourish.”
Lorne MacRae, first recipient of the John Steinbeck/Sandpiper Books Award served the cause of libraries and education with the Calgary Board of Education. He served on the executive of various library boards and associations, provincially and nationally.
Lorne received the Learning Resources Council (Alberta Teachers Association) Award of Merit for provincial contribution to the development of school libraries as well as the Margaret B. Scott Award of Excellence for sustained national contribution to school libraries. In 1994, the Learning Resources Council established the Lorne MacRae Intellectual Freedom Fund. This tribute much touched him as it represented his deep beliefs.
They also noted that, “his high regard for intellectual freedom, his respect for public and continuing education, his personal quest to be a life-long learner, his passionate belief in the value of children and youth, his deep concern for a growing sense of intolerance and fear of others’ beliefs and values have all served to guide his work and life.”
Nominations
ALTA has established an Awards Program to honour exemplary trustees and boards, and invites the participation of its members in nominating worthy colleagues for our two major awards. Descriptions of both awards and the criteria for them are available online, as are Nomination Forms to be printed out and submitted according to the guidelines. They can also be requested from the ALTA office through mail or fax.
Award nominations are to be submitted each year. Applications will be accepted until March 31st of every year.