BCLA Awards

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. The BCLA Board recognizes that our members have a diversity of opinions on the application of intellectual freedom principles. Further, we recognize there are many more conversations to be had, many more voices to hear, and many more debates ahead. As a Board, we commit to working with members to evolve our statements and awards to reflect intersecting interests and values.

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.

Recognizing that it takes significant time for many projects to mature and for those involved to demonstrate the impact of the work or the success of the idea, the BCLA Champion of Intellectual Freedom Award will consider submissions based on work done in the two years prior to the date of the award application.

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. It takes time and commitment to build an idea up from a concept into a project or program through assessment, modifications, and evaluation. With this in mind, the BCLA Eureka Award will consider submissions based on work begun in the five years prior to the date of the award application.

This award is given irregularly. Honorary Life Memberships are conferred upon members of the Association at or within five years of normal retirement age.  Individuals must have made substantial and recognizable long standing contribution to BCLA and to library service in the Province.

In 2013 BCLA, introduced the BC SRC Community Story Award in order to recognize and honour those stories that described the impact of BC SRC on participants and library staff. Each year the BC SRC presents the award to an individual whose story best demonstrates how important BC SRC is to children and community members. For more information please visit the BC SRC.

Please note: This award is administered by the YAACS section of the British Columbia Library Association. The Young Adult and Children’s Services Section (YAACS) established the YAACS Award in 2012 to recognize exceptional service in the area of children’s or teen librarianship in British Columbia. For more information, please visit the YAACS Award page.

Please note: This award is administered by the Cataloguing and Technical Services Interest Group (BCCATS) of the British Columbia Library Association. The BCCATS Technical Services Award recognizes an individual or unit working in technical services that has demonstrated excellence and/or made a difference to users and colleagues in British Columbia in the area of Technical services. For more information, please visit the BCCATS Award page.