Established in 2002, the BC Academic Libraries Section (BCALS) Outstanding Contribution Award is presented to an individual who works in an academic library (or team of academic library personnel) whose professional achievements have made a real difference to students, faculty, or colleagues in British Columbia. The award is presented annually at the BCLA Conference. BCALS will publicize the award winner(s) and nominees in appropriate media and in a letter to the institution of the award winner(s). Nominees or their institutions are required to be BCLA members.
Who can nominate? Anyone. However, a member of BCALS executive, who is also on the awards committee must recuse themselves for from deliberations.
Who can be nominated? Any Library worker that is:
- at a British Columbia academic institution
- not currently part of the BCALS Executive
Please be sure to include the following information in your nomination:
1 Name of nominator
2 Name of nominee
3 Project or reason for nominator
4 Nominator’s contact information
Criteria for nomination may include:
- Demonstrated impact (through example and/or statistics) on students, colleagues, or the library
- Demonstrated collaboration with colleagues or other institutions
- Inspiring the profession through practice and/or research
Past Outstanding Contribution Award winners:
2023 Ebony Magnus, Simon Fraser University
2022 Pia Russell, University of Victoria
2021 Kwantlen Polytechnic University Library’s Open Publishing Suite Team: Caroline Daniels, Karen Meijer-Kline, Paula Pinter, Beverly Whitcutt, Syreen Pestonji, and Urooj Nizami
2020 Nicole White, Simon Fraser University
2019 Chris Reimer, University Canada West
2018 Christine Walde, University of Victoria
2017 Jocelyn Hallman, Capilano University
2016 No nominations received
2015 Mark Bodnar, Simon Fraser University
2014 Thesis Boot Camp Team, Simon Fraser University
2013 Jean Blackburn and Dan Sifton, Vancouver Island University Library
2012 Jan Gattrell, University of British Columbia – Okanagan
2011 Kealin McCabe, University of Northern BC
2010 Todd Mundle, Simon Fraser University
2009 BC College and Institute Library Services
2008 Elaine Fairey, Simon Fraser University
2007 AskAway Online Reference Service – Participating Academic Librarians, Planning Committee and Supporters UBC Education Library team: Chris Ball, Linda Dunbar, Jo-Anne Naslund
2006 No nominations were received, and no award was presented
2005 South Fraser Post Secondary Libraries Reciprocal Borrowing Agreement team : Lynn Copeland & Scott McKenzie, SFU Carole Compton-Smith, Debra Flewelling & Sam Catherine Cheng, Douglas College Cathy MacDonald & Colleen van de Voort, Kwantlen University College Kim Isaac and Patti Wilson, University College of the Fraser Valley
2004 Mark Bodnar, Gordon Coleman, Carla Graebner, & Sandra Wong, Simon Fraser University Katherine Miller and Anne O’Shea, SLAIS students for the Ask Us Here service at SFU
2003 Christian Guillou, Douglas College
2002 Team of Librarians at Simon Fraser University Library for the Liaison Librarian program