OLA President’s Award for Exceptional Achievement
The President’s Award for Exceptional Achievement acknowledges an outstanding action or contribution that has in a major or unique way enhanced or furthered librarianship in Ontario. The selection is at the full discretion of the President of the OLA. The award is only given if the achievement has a significant impact on the profession or the Association.
Selection Process
The selection is at the full discretion of the President of the OLA. The award is only given if there is something of true historic significance to recognize.
Award Presentation Information
- This award is presented at the OLA annual Super Conference.
- The winner will be notified in advance of the award presentation.
- The President of OLA (or designate) will prepare a brief introductory speech outlining the achievements of the award winner.
- The OLA President or their designate will present the award.
- The recipient will prepare a short acceptance speech.
- Guests of award winners are welcome to attend the award presentation, however, they must be registered conference attendees or registered guests. All attendees must have a conference badge to be onsite. Further information will be provided to the recipient.
Past Recipients
2025 Anastasia Shawnoo, Kettle and Stoney Point First Nation
2024 Shelagh Paterson
2023 First Nation Public Library Librarians
2022 2021 Super Conference Planning Committee
2020 John Paul and Kaleb – Fay and Fluffy
2019 Mary Lou Souter, Mississippi Mills Public Library Board
2018 Dr. Guy Berthiaume, Library and Archives Canada/ Bibliothèque et
Archives Canada
2017 Forest of Reading® Program, Ontario Library Association
2016 OLA Governance Review Committee, Ontario Library Association
2015 Leading Learning Project, Canadian Library Association
2014 Liz Kerr, Super Conference Coordinator, Ontario Library Association
2013 Together for Learning Project (T4L)
Contributors:
Anita Brooks Kirkland, Waterloo District School Board
Roberta Henley, Grand Erie District School Board (retired)
Carol Koechlin, Library Consultant
Diana Maliszewski, Toronto District School Board
Larry Moore, Ontario Library Association (retired)
Ester Rosenfeld, Ontario Library Association ((2007 President)
Peggy Thomas, Ontario Library Association ((2009 President)
Michael Budd, Professional Learning Facilitator
Timothy Gauntley, Toronto District School Board (retired)
Cathi Gibson-Gates, OISE
Wayne Hamilton, Toronto District School Board (retired)
Michelle Regina, York Catholic District School Board
Michael Rossettis, York Catholic District School Board
Hetty Smeathers, York Catholic District School Board
Lisa Weaver, Toronto District School Board
Advisory Consultants:
Ray Doiron, Faculty of Education, University of Prince Edward Island
Ken Haycock, School of Library and Information Science, San Jose State
University
David Loertscher, School of Library and Information Science, San Jose
State University
Ross J. Todd, Department of Library and Information Science, Rutgers
University
Debra Wallace, Knowledge and Library Services, Harvard Business School
David Warlick, The Landmark Project
Special thanks to supporter: Ruth Hall, president, OSLA 2009 – 10
This project was developed by the Ontario School Library Association with
the support of the Literacy and Numeracy Secretariat of the Government of
Ontario’s Ministry of Education.
2012 Jim Brett, University of Guelph
2011 Wendy Newman, University of Toronto, Faculty of Information
2010 Eric Walters and Deborah Ellis
2009 The “Working Together” project. Project partners: Vancouver Public Library,
Regina Public Library, Toronto Public Library and Halifax Public Libraries.
2008 Knowledge Ontario
2007 The Partnership
2006 The Ontario Council of University Libraries for The Scholar’s Portal Be the Change Project
2003 Roch Carrier, National Librarian of Canada and Charles Baillie, TD Bank
Financial Group
2002 To library teams that have worked together to provide extraordinary
leadership and remarkable results in the legislated amalgamation of library
systems and services.
1991 Peel Board of Education, the first school board in Canada to put a full-time
teacher-librarian in every school.
1990 Elizabeth Hoffman, Chair, Ontario Public Library Strategic Planning Group,
for the creation of Ontario’s first public library strategic plan and for the
innovative involvement of the Ontario public library community in its
development.
Lionel Koffler, Firefly Books, for his innovative advocacy against the
application of the Goods and Services Tax to books, most specifically for
the creativity and investment in the innovative “I Tax Books” postage
stamps.
