Each year the British Columbia Library Association invites the library community, partners, and stakeholders to nominate individuals and organizations for awards recognizing outstanding work in libraries throughout the province. This year the awards were presented at the Awards Ceremony during the 2023 BC Library Conference.
The BC Academic Libraries Section (BCALS) Outstanding Contribution Award
This award recognizes 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. This year’s recipient is Ebony Magnus from Simon Fraser University Library.
BCCATS J. McRee Elrod Leadership Award
This 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. This year’s recipient is Richard J. Violette from Greater Victoria Public Library.
The Young Adult and Children’s Services Section Award
This award recognizes librarians, library technicians, teacher-librarians and others who have, as individuals or teams, demonstrated exceptional dedication and service in children’s or teen library services. This year’s recipient is Sara Grant from Surrey Libraries.
The BCLA Building Better Communities Award Winner
This award recognizes an individual or organization responsible for increasing the relevancy and impact of library service through partnership, collaboration, and building trust where little has previously existed. This year’s recipient is West Vancouver Memorial Library for their Climate Future Initiative.
BCLA Honourary Life Memberships
Honorary Life Memberships are conferred upon members of the Association at or within five years of normal retirement age who the have made substantial and recognizable long standing contributions to BCLA and to library service in the province. This year BCLA Life Memberships were presented to Anita Cocchia from BC Electronic Library Network and Michael Burris from Public Library InterLINK.
Congratulations to the award winners and all of the excellent nominees, whose collective contributions demonstrate the relevant, innovative, and impactful work libraries do in their communities.