ACRL College & Research Libraries News

College & Research Libraries News

Academic/Research Librarian of the Year Award

The Association of College and Research Libraries invites nominations for the Academic/ Research Librarian of the Year Award, presented jointly by ACRL and the Baker and Taylor Company. An outline of the specifics of the award is listed below. Any individuals who wish to submit nominations can receive the necessary forms from the ACRL office or by writing: Edward Holley, Dean, School of Library Science, 100 Manning Hall 026-A, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27514.

Two of America s most distinguished librarians have been named to share the first Academic/ Research Librarian of the Year Award. Keyes D. Metcalf and Robert B. Downs were formally presented with this honor at the first ACRL National Conference, held in Boston.

Keyes Metcalf, who served as director of the Harvard University Library from 1937 until his retirement in 1955, has been an indefatigable leader on the national and international library scenes. He long has been active in ACRL, and his selection honors one of academic librarianship s finest minds and greatest contributors.

Metcalf shares the award with former ALA President Robert B. Downs. Downs directed the University of Illinois Library from 1943 until 1971, and, like Metcalf, he continues to exert a strong professional influence through consulting, writing, and teaching. His latest book, Resources of Australian Libraries, will appear next year.

Purpose: To recognize an individual member of the library profession who has made an outstanding national or international contribution to academic and research librarianship and library development.

Criteria: Individuals nominated should have demonstrated achievements in such areas as:

1. Service to the organized profession through ACRL and related organizations.
2. Significant and influential research on academic or research library service.
3. Publication of a body of scholarly and/or theoretical writing contributing to academic or research library development.
4. Planning and implementing a library program of such exemplary quality that it has served as a model for others.
5. Nominee does not have to meet all four criteria stated above.

RULES: The award shall be made each year, at a time and place to be determined by the ACRL Board of Directors. Announcement of the award shall be made by the ACRL president at a time and place to be determined by the ACRL Board of Directors. If, in the opinion of the Award Committee, no worthy candidate is nominated in a given year, the award will not be made that year.

Nominations.- Nominations for the award must be returned to the chairperson of the Academic/ Research Librarian of the Year Award Committee and must be postmarked no later than April 1, 1979. Nominations must be submitted in quintuplicate. Nominations must be complete on the application form. The presence of attachments will disqualify the nomination. Secondary letters will not be considered in the Award Committee s deliberations.

Nature of the Award: The ACRL Librarian of the Year Award shall consist of $2,000 and an appropriate citation.