OLITA Technology Advancing Libraries Award

The OLITA Technology Advancing Libraries Award recognizes a project that demonstrates leadership in the application of technology to benefit library users, enhance library operations, and extend partnerships. Please provide details for a primary contact of the group/project in the nomination form.

Criteria/Eligibility

Nominations must be for a project and not an individual.
Nominations may be made by the library representative or others.
All projects must be operational by the close of the nomination period.
Libraries must be operating within the province of Ontario.

Additional Criteria

Problem solving.
Innovation.
Impact.
Timeliness.
Contribution to the library community.

Nomination Procedure

The nominator must be a member in good standing of OLA/OLITA.
The nomination form can be found on the OLA website on the awards page.
The nominator must provide sufficient documented evidence of the nominee’s contribution potentially including but not limited to:
- Examples of how the candidate project meets the award criteria.
- Screenshots, screencasts, or documentation that provides evaluators with an understanding of the project.
- Letters of support from beneficiaries of the project (maximum of 5).
- Quantitative and/or qualitative measures of the impact of the project.
Nominees who are not selected may be re-nominated in subsequent years with the submission of updated documentation.
Nominations will be accepted between: September – November.
Once the winner has been chosen, the OLITA President will contact the successful nominator.
- The OLA office will contact all unsuccessful nominators.
Unless otherwise arranged, the OLITA President will also contact the successful nominee and request a photo for promotion purposes.
The OLA office will later connect with the nominator and the winner for award presentation logistics.

Selection Process

Eligible applications will be assessed according to the criteria as above and any supporting the documentation.
OLITA Council will consider all potential candidates, including those nominated from the membership.
The presentation of the award is at the discretion of OLITA Council and is not necessarily presented on an annual basis.

Award Presentation Information

This award is presented at the OLA annual Super Conference
The winner will be notified in advance of the award presentation.
At the presentation, an introductory speech will be delivered outlining the achievements of the award winner.
The recipient will prepare a short acceptance speech.

Past Recipients

2025 Technical Services Team, Lincoln-Pelham Public Library

2020 Tim Boudreau, Lougheed Middle School, Peel District School Board 2019 Jonathon Hodge for Tor Browser Pilot, Toronto Public Library

2018 Not awarded

2017 Bibliobike Project/Project bibliovélo, Ottawa Public Library

2016 “Borrow the Internet” Wi-Fi Hotspot Lending Program, Kitchener Public Library

2015 Cultivating a Hacker Ethic, Innisful Public Library and IdeaLAB 2014 GALLOP Portal (Government and Legislative Libraries Online Publications Portal)

2013 No award presented

2012 Scholars GeoPortal, Ontario Council of University Libraries (OCUL) 2011 Barcode Scanner Project, Ryerson University Library

2010 Project Conifer, Laurentian University

2009 Niagara Falls Public Library

2008 OurOntario.ca, Knowledge Ontario

2007 RFP Application Amazon Mashup, Kingston Public Library

2006 RSS Service, Cambridge Libraries

2005 The Reuben R. Sallows Digital Library, Huron County Library

2004 24by7 TEKdesk, Peterborough Public Library

2003 Global Librarian Project, Vaughan Public Libraries

2002 Historicity Project,Toronto Public Library

Honourable Mention: Windsor Internet Booking System (WIBS), Leddy Library, University of Windsor and Windsor Public Library

2001 Document Unit, Stauffer Library, Queen’s University

Web Interface for SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences). 2000 VisuNEWS system, Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB) WERL.net, Windsor-Essex Regional Library

1999 The TRELLIS Project, University of Guelph, Wilfrid Laurier University, University of Waterloo

1998 No award presented

1997 Metro Toronto Reference Library

1996 Halton Hills Public Library

1995 Dana Porter Library, University of Waterloo

1994 No award presented

1993 CNIB Library for the Blind

1992 Brampton Public Library