Public Library Sector Leadership in Adult Readers’ Advisory Award
The Leadership in Adult Readers’ Advisory Award is given to honour excellence in adult readers’ advisory who has made a positive impact on reader’s advisory librarianship.
Eligibility
- Nominees must be a member in good standing of OLA
- Nominees must be working in the public library field in Ontario.
- Nominees for this award will be evaluated in the following areas:
- Active involvement in the public library profession.
- Enhanced service to adult readers in the local library.
- Innovation in delivery of readers’ advisory services.
- Strong advocacy for readers’ advisory services.
- Helping others acquire readers’ advisory skills.
Criteria
- The nominator must be a member in good standing of OLA.
- Nominations accepted between February – October
- The nomination package should include evidence to support the nomination and must include:
- A letter of recommendation up to 500 words
- Between 1 and 3 samples of the nominee’s work which could include planning or training documentation, marketing materials, program summaries, etc.
- Up to three photographs, news clippings, etc. if available.
- All OLA Awards follow the OLA Awards Procedure
Selection Process
- The selection committee consists of members from the OPLA Readers’s Advisory Committee.
- Nominees who are not selected may be re-nominated in subsequent years with the submission of updated documentation.
- Eligible applications will be assessed using a rubric according to the criteria as above and any supporting the documentation. Each member of the Selection Committee will complete this rubric independently, with results tabulated at the end. If there is a tie, the Selection Committee will proceed to open discussion about the nominees.
- The presentation of the award is at the discretion of the OPLA Council and is not necessarily presented on an annual basis.
Award Presentation Information
- This award is presented at the RA in a Day Event
- The recipient may be asked to write an article for HOOPLA about their work, the award they received, and what it’s meant to them in their careers.
2026 Not awarded
2025 Laurie Prentice, Waterloo Public Library
2024 Melanie Kindrachuk, Stratford Public Library
2023 Anne Archer, Ottawa Public Library
2022 Not awarded
2021 Not awarded
2020 Not awarded
2019 Bessie Sullivan, Haliburton County Public Library
2018 Catherine Coles, County of Lennox & Addington Libraries
2017 Not Awarded
2016 Amy Colson, Meadowvale Library, Mississauga Library System
2015 Not awarded
2014 Sharron Smith, Kitchener Public Library
2013 Angela Bowen, Ottawa Public Library
2012 Shonna Froebel, Barrie Public Library
2011 Diane Crew, Oakville Public Library
2010 Richard Ficek, Oshawa Public Library
2009 The Dewey Divas and the Dudes
2008 Marcia Aronson, Ottawa Public Library
