Each year the British Columbia Library Association (BCLA) invites the library community, partners, and stakeholders to nominate individuals and organizations for awards recognizing outstanding work in libraries throughout the province. BCLA is privileged to present three awards for outstanding work in libraries across the province.
BCLA Awards Categories
BCLA Eureka Award
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.
BCLA Champion of Intellectual Freedom Award
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.
BCLA Building Better Communities Award
This award is for an individual or organization responsible for increasing the relevancy and impact of library service through partnership, collaboration, and building trust where little had previously existed. The winner may be engaged in service delivery, professional development, marketing, or community-led library work. Achievements may originate with a library or an individual, or with a community partner. The BCLA Building Better Communities Award evolves from the Association’s commitment to open access and inclusion. BCLA advocates for libraries and library services for all British Columbians. This includes barrier-free facilities, open and equitable access to library services, and environments free of racism, religious intolerance, and violence. BCLA believes that people, communities and organizations need universal access to information, ideas, and works of the imagination for their social, cultural, educational, democratic and economic well-being. 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 Building Better Communities will consider submissions based on work done in the two years prior to the date of the award application.
BCLA Life Membership Award
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.
BCLA Professional Development Awards
Alice Bacon Professional Development Award This award is named in honour of Alice Bacon, who for many years organized and lobbied for improved continuing education opportunities for members of the BC library community. The award is intended to help individuals who would otherwise be unable to attend the BC Library Conference due to limited funds. Awards can vary in amount but generally cover the cost of conference registration. We look forward to hearing from those of you who may not have had an opportunity to attend many conferences in the past, as well as from people who would like an opportunity to expand their professional education.
Ken Haycock Student Conference Award The Ken Haycock Student Conference Award encourages leadership and professional activity among students by contributing $300 toward BC Library Conference expenses. BCLA will provide full basic conference registration for the award recipient. This is a valuable opportunity for MLIS students engage with members of the BC library community and network with individuals who may be crucial to future career aspirations. Applicants need to be a member of BCLA and a BC resident enrolled in an ALA-accredited MLIS program at the time of the application. The application process includes submitting a statement detailing potential benefits of attending the conference and BCLA involvement. To be eligible the applicant agrees to contribute to the conference as a volunteer, as required. The Ken Haycock Student Conference Award is named in honour of Dr. Ken Haycock, who is a luminary in the provincial and national library sector. Ken lives in Vancouver and is research professor (honourary) with the Center for Library Leadership and Management at the University of Southern California where he was previously research professor of management and organization with the Marshall School of Business. At the Marshall School of Business he developed and directed graduate programs in library and information management. Ken was previously director at the San Jose School of Library and Information Science, building it into the largest program in the world with four degrees and 2,800 students in 14 countries, and at SLAIS at UBC, introducing with colleagues the joint MAS/MLIS program, First Nations concentration, MA in children’s literature and PhD program. Prior to the academy, he was a member of the senior management team of the Vancouver School Board, responsible for curriculum and program development and implementation, curriculum resources and technologies and staff development for 7,000 employees at 115 sites. His consultancies, as senior partner with Ken Haycock & Associates Inc., include leadership development and coaching as well as governance, organizational and program reviews. In the broader community Ken has been a public library trustee, elected school board member and chair, elected municipal councillor and served on dozens of government and community boards as diverse as publishing, elimination of sexism, race relations and community services. Recognized by many associations he was awarded the Queen’s Silver Jubilee Medal for contributions to society and an honorary Doctor of Letters from Capilano University. Ken holds an Ed.D. (Brigham Young), M.B.A. (Royal Roads), A.M.L.S. (Michigan), and M.Ed. (Ottawa). His research interests focus on management and leadership, role clarification and effectiveness, organizational development, advocacy and influence. A prolific writer and speaker, Ken Haycock is a committed and passionate advocate for public education, for libraries and for librarians.
BCLA Section / Committee / Interest Group Awards
BC Academic Libraries Section (BCALS) Outstanding Contribution Award Please note: This award is administered by the BCALS section of the British Columbia Library Association. The BC Academic Librarians Section (ALS) Outstanding Contribution Award goes to an academic librarian, or team of same, whose outstanding contribution has made a real difference to students, faculty, or colleagues in British Columbia. For more information, please visit the ALS Award page.
Young Adult and Children’s Services Section Award 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.
BCCATS Technical Services Award 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.
2023 BCLA Awards Committee members
Todd Mundle, President (Chair)
Alyssa Green
Rhiannon Wallace
Sajni Lacey
Shideh Taleban
Rina Hadziev (ex officio)