OCULA Lightning Strikes Student Award
This award is designed to introduce LIS and library technician students to OCULA and provide them with the opportunity to engage in the OLA Super Conference.
Eligibility
- Candidates for this award should be students with an interest in academic libraries who are either currently enrolled in a Master’s program in library/information studies or library technician program at an Ontario university or college or who have graduated within 6 months of the Ontario Library Association’s Super Conference.
- The proposed lightning talk should address an original topic or reconsiders a past topic in a novel way that would be relevant to academic librarianship.
- Applicants should submit a proposal for a 10-minute lightning talk to be given as part of the Student Award Session at the Ontario Library Association’s Super Conference. For group proposals, students will still only have 10 minutes to speak.
- Presentations can use visuals that are in slide format, or other forms of creative expressions.
Criteria
- Submissions will be accepted between: September to November
- A title, description, and up to three tags for the lightning talk must be included on the session proposal form.
- Written descriptions are limited to 125 words.
- Only one submission per applicant will be considered.
Selection Process
- Submissions will be judged based on creativity, relevance of the topic to academic librarianship, and appropriateness of the topic for a lightning talk i.e. can be covered in ten minutes.
- All entries will be reviewed by an OCULA panel of judges, at least one of whom will be an OCULA Super Conference Program Planner.
- Up to six (6) applicants will be chosen to speak at the Student Lightning Strikes Award Session. Successful applicants will receive free registration to the Super Conference for the day they are speaking.
- The winner will be determined at the Super Conference, by a vote of all audience members attending the Lightning Strikes Student Award Session.
Selection Process
- A rubric will be used for reviewing submissions for determining which talks will be accepted for presentation at Super Conference.
- Submissions will be judged based on creativity, relevance of the topic to academic librarianship, and appropriateness of the topic for a lightning talk i.e. can be covered in ten minutes.
- All entries will be reviewed by an OCULA panel of judges.
- Up to six (6) applicants will be chosen to speak at the Student Lightning Strikes Award Session. Successful applicants will receive free registration to the Super Conference for the day they are speaking.
- The winner will be determined at the Super Conference, by members of OCULA council in attendance at the Lightning Strikes Session. Should a tie or indecision occur, the OCULA President will make the final decision.
Award Presentation Information
- The OCULA Lightning Strikes” session will take place at OLA Super Conference
- This award is presented at the OLA annual Super Conference during the OCULA Spotlight Speaker event. All students selected to present will attend the Super Conference on the he day of award presentations at no charge and will also receive a complimentary one-year membership in the Ontario Library Association and Ontario College and University Library Association.
- As part of this award, the winner will be given the opportunity to serve on the OCULA Council for a one-year term.
- 2026 Tea Marcon, University of Toronto
- 2025 Oriane Edwards – University of Toronto
- 2024 Rochelle David – University of Toronto, Sahar Kasiri-Motlagh – University of Toronto
- 2023
- 2022 No Lightning Strikes Awarded
- 2021 No Lightning Strikes Awarded
- 2020 Oy Lein “Jace” Harrison, University of Toronto
- 2019 Nicole Doro, Western University
- 2018 Jordan Pedersen, University of Toronto
- 2017 Erica Friesen, University of Toronto
- 2016 Lisa Levesque, Western University
- 2015 Julia King, University of Toronto
- 2014 Yayo Umetsubo
- 2013 Wendy Traas, Student, University of Toronto
- 2012 Sarah Barriage, Student, University of Western Ontario
- 2011 Courtney Lundrigan, Student, University of Western Ontario
- 2010 Laura Beauchamp, Student, University of Western Ontario
