Virginia Library Association Blog » Awards and Recognition

New VLA Logo Adopted

shelm — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 17:17:17 +0000

The new VLA logo was unveiled and adopted at the April 9th Council Meeting.

The new logo is available for download and use on all VLA publications, signage, web sites, etc. in various sizes, formats and color variations.

Special thanks go to Visa Varga and the Central Rappahannock Regional Library graphics staff for the [...]

Susan Thorniley Receives VLA Presidential Recognition Award

shelm — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 03:36:37 +0000

Richmond, VA: VLA President John Moorman awarded Susan Thorniley the VLA Presidential Recognition Award for her years of service to Virginia Libraries. Susan is the Coordinator of Library Information Services at the Fairfax County Public School System. Congratulations Susan!

Fort Chiswell High School librarian wins state award

shelm — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 14:48:55 +0000

WYTHE CO. – Marilyn Garnto would score high marks on personality alone for any competition she entered. Her remarkable attitude and positive outlook carry over into her work as media specialist at Fort Chiswell High School which won her a state award.

Garnto was honored as the Virginia Educational Media Assoc. (VEMA) State Library Media Specialist of the Year. She credits Principal Brett Booher with beginning the process.
According to the VEMA Web site, the purpose of the award is to recognize outstanding VEMA school library media specialists. Nominations can be made by fellow media specialists, teachers or administrators.
“Mrs. Garnto has always been so open to work with all departments within the school,” Booher noted of his nominee. “It’s not unusual to come in the library and find two classrooms doing research with Mrs. Garnto right in the middle. She’s always willing to help students in any way she can.”
A personal connection to students and staff is what prompted the Franklin, Tenn., native to turn from her work as a child psychologist to media specialist/librarian. The decision has served her well.
“I was not making that connection as a child psychologist,” recalled Garnto. “I spent so much of the time testing students. I was living in Prince William County when teachers were offered the opportunity to go back to college and become librarians. They called me ‘psycho librarian’ because I worked in the library two days a week and as a child psychologist the rest of the time.”
Now in her sixth year as librarian at Fort Chiswell High School, Garnto is in her element. Her love of all aspects of the library and its users bring her to work early every morning.
“Interacting with the students is the best part of my job,” Garnto remarked. “A close second would be interacting with the staff. I love research and I love the library. I want to be a part of the school community and the larger community as well. Being a librarian gave that to me.”
Garnto is a member of the New River Valley Chapter of Project Linus, an organization of blanket makers for sick or traumatized children. She also is active in the local Cold Nose Warm Heart pet therapy program where pet owners take their animals to visit daycare centers and nursing homes.
Tales with Tails is a program Garnto founded and coordinated with the Wythe Grayson Regional Library in Wytheville. It allows children to practice their reading skills to dogs in the Cold Nose Warm Heart program.
“Mrs. Garnto is a wonderful person to work with,” commented Mary Etta Clemons, interim director of the Wythe Grayson Regional Library. “She brought me information about similar programs and we talked about it before I took it to our board of trustees. It is such a wonderful program where the children come to the library once a month on Saturday mornings and read to the pet therapy dogs. We’d like to have more children participate in the program.”
As part of her VEMA nomination process, Garnto provided a le

ngthy portfolio demonstrating these and other collaborative teaching, leadership roles, organizing special events to promote library services and innovative projects. A grant from Dollar General Stores Youth Literacy Program allowed Garnto to host noted author Sharyn McCrumb and author/NASCAR driver Adam Edwards for a recent library event.
The visit was to promote a digital library collection corner developed by Garnto. This section of the library has new furniture and four laptops with headphones.
Student-made book trailers – much like a movie trailer – are loaded onto the computers. After reading a novel for English class, students use the Photo Story program to make a short movie about the novel as a way to entice other students to read that particular book.
After winning the regional award and accepting a plaque at the Abingdon ceremony, Garnto advanced to the state conference. She picked up the state award at a ceremony in Roanoke.
“I credit the staff here with me winning the award,” Garnto stated. “We have a fun staff, a good friendly group. They help make my job fun and something I look forward to every day.”
Garnto is married to Michael Garnto, an employee of the department of justice. They reside in the Draper Valley Golf Club Estates.

Wayne Quesenberry can be reached at 228-6611 or wquesenberry@wythenews.com

By WAYNE QUESENBERRY
Wytheville Enterprise
Published: March 30, 2010

2010 VLA Awards: Call for Nominations

shelm — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 21:07:00 +0000

2010 VLA Awards

The Awards and Recognition Committee seeks nominations for the following VLA Awards:

Honorary Life Membership
George Mason Award
Trustee Library Award
Friends of the Library Award

The deadline for nominations is April 15, 2010. The criteria for each award and the nomination form are located on the Awards and Recognition Committee page on the VLA website (http://www.vla.org/demo/Awards/Index.html).

Nominations may be submitted electronically to Linda Hahne, VLA Executive Director (Lindahahne@cox.net)

VCCS Gene Damon Receives VLA Commendation

shelm — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 04:39:27 +0000

Richmond Virginia: Gene Damon, Director of Library Automation for the Virginia Community College System received special recognition by VLA President John Moorman at the January 29, 2010 Council Meeting. Damon was praised for for his many years of tireless service to Virginia Libraries. Congratulations Gene!

Gene Damon Commended by VLA President Moorman

IFC Announces Banned Books Week Display Contest Winner

tcoggins — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 21:41:36 +0000

The winner of the 2009 Intellectual Freedom Committee’s Banned Books display contest is the Henrico County Public Library System for its innovative involvement of the library building and its users in its Banned Books week display. The runner-up this year is the Jefferson Madison Regional Library for its reaching out and partnering with the Thomas Jefferson Center for the Protection of Free Expression (http://www.tjcenter.org/monument/) to spread the message about access to information and ideas. The VLA IFC congratulates both library systems.

IFC Announces ProQuest VLA Intellectual Freedom Winner

tcoggins — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 21:38:27 +0000

The VLA Intellectual Freedom Committee is pleased to announce that the 2009 ProQuest VLA Intellectual Freedom Award winner is Judith Krug. The Committee recommended that the award honor Ms. Krug posthumously for her lifetime of work on behalf of intellectual freedom. The cash award has been presented to the Freedom to Read Foundation in Ms. Krug’s honor.

Hollins University Library Wins ACRL Excellence Award

shelm — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 16:21:22 +0000

CHICAGO — The Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) has announced the recipients of the 2009 Excellence in Academic Libraries Award: The Moraine Valley Community College Library, Palos Hills, Ill.; the Wyndham Robertson Library at Hollins University, Roanoke, Va.; and the University of Minnesota Libraries – Twin Cities. Sponsored by ACRL and Blackwell’s Book Services, the award recognizes the staff of a college, university and community college library for programs that deliver exemplary services and resources to further the educational mission of the institution.

“Receiving an Excellence in Academic Libraries Award is a national tribute to a library and its staff for the outstanding services, programs and leadership they provide to their students, administrators, faculty and community,” said ACRL Executive Director Mary Ellen K. Davis. “It is wonderful to learn of the innovative programs and services being offered by these three exemplary institutions.”

The Moraine Valley Community College Library, winner of the community college category, was recognized for creating an environment that fosters numerous relationships with partners outside those traditionally associated with libraries.

“The selection committee was impressed to read that a librarian co-chaired Moraine Valley’s Academic Quality Improvement Program committee,” said Pamela Snelson, chair of the 2009 Excellence in Academic Libraries Selection Committee and college librarian at Franklin & Marshall College. “The staff is exceptionally supportive of students – the staff raised money for a Library Student Scholarship for their student workers.”

“It is my pleasure to work with the great group of people at the Moraine Valley Community College library,” said Sylvia Jenkins, dean of Academic Development and Learning Resources. “We accomplish so much because of everyone’s dedication to student success. I’m honored that the hard work of the library staff is being recognized by ACRL and Blackwell’s Book Services.”

The staff of the Wyndham Robertson Library at Hollins University, winner of the college category, impressed the selection committee with its “can do” attitude that has resulted in many innovative and creative programs.

“The library’s Green program, an emphasis in the university’s strategic plan, displays forward thinking — far ahead of the curve both in content and partnership with student body,” Snelson said. “The campus dining hall book mobile program is a program members of the selection committee are eager to emulate at their libraries.”

“The entire staff of the Wyndham Robertson Library is deeply honored to receive this award,” said Joan D. Ruelle, University librarian. “It is especially delightful to be recognized for our sometimes unusual approaches to outreach; kickball and karaoke are not always perceived as direct pathways to more successful information literacy programs.

The University of Minnesota Libraries, winner of the university category, was praised for developing excellent strategies to successfully transform and rebrand the libraries to secure a highly valued position on campus.

“The libraries understand the importance of the process of conducting scholarship and have implemented programs to support behaviors rather than product,” said Snelson. “By ‘getting in the flow of users,’ the libraries have moved out of their comfort zone and shifted into an engagement-centered model for all library services and programs.”

“We’re immensely proud of the success we’ve had in integrating our expertise and resources into the life of the campus,” said Wendy Pradt Lougee, university librarian and McKnight presidential professor at the University of Minnesota. “To have our staff’s innovative work recognized by the ACRL community is quite simply wonderful.”

Each winning library will receive $3,000 and a plaque, to be presented at an award ceremony held on each recipient’s campus. The winners also will receive special recognition at the ACRL President’s Program during the American Library Association (ALA) Annual Conference at 1:30 p.m. on Monday, July 13, in Chicago.

2009 WHCLIST Award (for non-librarians)

shelm — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 15:52:59 +0000

The White House Conference on Library and Information Services (WHCLIST) and the ALA Washington Office wish to announce the 2009 WHCLIST Award that provides a stipend of $300 to help defray the costs for a non-librarian participant to attend National Library Legislative Day (NLLD) May 11^th and 12^th in Washington, DC.

WHCLIST was an effective force in library advocacy nationally, statewide and locally, following the White House Conferences on Library and Information Services in 1979 and 1991. With no national conferences in the foreseeable future, WHCLIST has chosen to provide its assets to the ALA Washington Office, to transmit the spirit of committed, passionate library support to a new generation of advocates. Both ALA and WHCLIST are committed to ensuring that the American people get the best library service possible. The WHCLIST Award will be used to further these efforts.

The criteria for the WHCLIST Award are:

The recipient should be a library supporter (trustee, friend, general supporter) and not a professional librarian.
Priority will be given to first-time attendees of NLLD.
Applicants must include a registration form, a letter of reference from a library director, school librarian, library board chair, friend’s group chair or other library representative.

Representatives of WHCLIST and the ALA Washington office will choose the recipient. The ALA Washington Office will contact the recipient’s Senators and Representatives to announce the award. The winner of the WHCLIST Award is announced at NLLD.

Applications are due April 15, 2009.

To apply for the WHCLIST award, please submit a completed NLLD registration form, a letter explaining why you should receive the award and a letter of reference to:

Kristin Murphy

Government Relations Specialist

American Library Association

1615 New Hampshire AVE, NW

First Floor

Washington, DC 20009

202-628-8419 (fax)

kmurphy@alawash.org

Note: Applicants must register for NLLD and pay all associated costs. Applicants must also make their own travel arrangements but will receive 2 free nights in the NLLD hotel in D.C. The winner will be notified by April 20, 2009.

Shirley Olofson Memorial Award Applicants Sought

shelm — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 01:09:57 +0000

Are you looking for funds to help pay for your trip to ALA Annual
2009 in Chicago? Apply by December 15, 2008 for the Shirley Olofson
Memorial Award and you may receive a $1000 check to help defray the
cost of attendance!

Applicants must:
1. Be a member of ALA and NMRT
2. Be active in the library profession
3. Show promise or activity in the area of professional development
4. Have valid financial need
5. Have attended no more than five ALA annual conferences

To apply, please visit:
http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/rts/nmrt/oversightgroups/comm/awolofson/Shirley_Olofson_Award.cfm