Purpose
To recognize and emphasize excellence in developing and providing library programming and/or outreach services to the local community.
This award will select up to three individuals to honor annually, and generally, will attempt to ensure a broad representation among the audiences served (children, teens, adults) and the type of services rendered (programming, outreach). The KPLA Awards committee recognizes that there is a wide variety of specializations and job duties
among public library staff in their libraries and that some individuals may be covering all age ranges or offering multiple types of service. This award intends to honor those providing outstanding programs and/or outreach and making an impact on their community, no matter their focus within those services at their library.
Criteria:
● The nominee must be an individual or institutional member of the Kentucky Public Library Association (KPLA) and hold certification from the Kentucky State Board for the Certification of Librarians. Any level of certification is acceptable.
● The nominee must have been in their position for at least twelve (12) months.
● Nominees must have made substantial contributions such as (but not limited to):
○ Exemplifies the values of their organization and goes above and beyond to serve their libraries’ community
○ Providing ongoing, innovative, and diverse programming and/or outreach services designed to meet community needs
○ Advocating for community needs within their libraries, locally, regionally, or statewide
○ Promoting public awareness of library services
Rules:
● Nominations may be made by anyone in the library field (staff, trustees, Friends).
● Nominations should be concise, responding to at least two of the substantial contribution criteria above.
● Nominations should provide a portfolio of five (5) to no more than twenty (20) items of documentation, comprised of letters of support, publicity, and in-house publications that give concrete examples of these contributions and include statistical data.
● The information and the quality of the application shall be the sole basis of selection. Any application not meeting the criteria above will be disqualified.
● The KPLA Awards Committee will make the selection based on the above criteria.
● The KPLA Awards Committee may choose to make no award in any given year if the quality of the nominations is not determined to be satisfactory.