ABOUT THE AWARD
The Alberta Library Trustees Association (ALTA) Board of Directors established the Award of Excellence to recognize Library Boards that have enabled and supported their libraries to provide on-going excellent service to their communities over a five-year operational time period. The successful candidate(s) will be notified and be given the choice of where they would like the award presented to them. The award may be presented to the board in its home community at mutually convenient time as soon as possible after the award is announced. Up to two awards will be presented each year:
- one to libraries serving populations more than 20,000
- one to libraries serving populations less than 20,000
GUIDELINES
- Only library boards that are members of ALTA are eligible to receive the award.
- Nominations for the Award of Excellence may be made by any of the following: staff or board of the library itself, staff or board of the regional library system to which it belongs, the municipality that it serves, or members of the community.
- The nomination shall include a nomination form and a letter (500 words max) that provides a clear picture of how the Board has supported and contributed to the success of its library in meeting community needs.
- Winners will be selected from nominations received by a committee appointed by the Board of Directors of the Alberta Library Trustees Association.
- Notices requesting nominations for the Award of Excellence shall be sent to member library boards after the November meeting of the ALTA Board and nominations will remain open until March 31st of the every year.
- No late nominations will be considered.
CRITERIA
In general, eligible Library Boards should have:
- Enabled and supported their libraries in the provision of on-going excellent library service to their community over a five year time span
- Identified present or future needs in their community and implemented services/projects to meet those needs
In particular, Boards will have served their communities in one or more of the following ways:
- Assessed and responded to future and changing needs or circumstances in their community
- Exhibited innovation and creativity in meeting community needs
- Embarked on successful fundraising activities to support projects/services that better meet community needs
- Established mutually beneficial partnerships with other community organizations through shared planning and sponsorship of services and programs
- Enabled their libraries to expand their services/programs to meet community needs
ALTA president, Dr. Tanya Pollard, presented the City of Brooks Public Library Board with the 2019 Award of Excellence on Wednesday, May 15th.
- The City of Brooks Public Library Board did an amazing job with community assessment, design, accommodation, and fundraising for the new Library from 2014 through 2017.
- The Board’s policy development was meticulous, including the new Access to Servicepolicy.
- Special consideration was given to our community concerns about safe spaces for Teens, accessible floorplans and shelving, and study spaces to accommodate nearby students and the many ESL tutors and learners in our community.
- Their Board made the most of each precious dollar that was fundraised. They unloaded delivery trucks, assembled shelving, and packed and moved books in their own vehicles.
- Thanks to careful planning and tireless execution, Brooks Public Library was only closed for 9 days in order to make its move and reopened with the capacity to resume full services immediately.
Brooks Library Manager, Lisa Crosby, said “Our Trustees are big picture thinkers who know when to dig into the nitty-gritty and when to let their vision rise above the whirlwind of everyday business. They have the forethought to develop policy that adapts well and they stay on top of it with an industrious review schedule. The Access to Services policy is a real step forward in how the library meets community needs. Essentially, the board committed library services to consider the needs of each patron individually to ensure that the needs of our whole community are met – not in spite of our innumerable diversities, but because of them.”
Lets make sure to give a big Congratulations to the Brooks Public Library Trustees for their extraordinary work! Enjoy your new home! Take a look at their website https://brooks.shortgrass.ca/
Past Award Winners
2018: Camrose Public Library Board
2015: Medicine Hat Public Library Board
2014: Yellowhead County Library Board
2013: Westlock Intermunicipal Library Board
2012: Edmonton Public Library
2011: Strathcona County Library Board
2007: Blackfalds Public Library Board
2006: St. Paul Municipal Library Board
2005: Medicine Hat Public Library Board
2004: Calgary Public Library Board
2003: Wainwright Public Library Board
2002: Mayerthorpe Public Library Board
