Announcing the winners of the 2013 ALPS Award for Outstanding Service

Jean Blackburn and Dan Sifton from Vancouver Island University Library are the recipients of this year’s Award.

Jean and Dan are most deserving of the ALPS Award for Outstanding Service because of their innovative thinking in asking themselves “why do we continue to have overdue fines at our Library?”  Upon closer examination, it seemed as though the disadvantages of fines outweighed the advantages.

After reviewing the Library’s systems and procedures related to loans and overdue fines, Dan and Jean successfully advocated for the removal of fines for most materials for students and faculty (inter-library loans and course reserves are excluded); making VIU the first academic library in Canada to officially cancel fines.

Congratulations Jean and Dan!

ALPS Award for Outstanding Service *Nomination Deadline Extended to March 29th*

Established in 2002, the Academic Librarians in Public Service (ALPS) Award for Outstanding Service is presented to an academic public service librarian, or team of same, whose outstanding service has made a real difference to students, faculty, or colleagues in British Columbia.

Nominations are currently being accepted for the ALPS Award for Outstanding Service 2013.  The deadline is Friday, March 29, 2013.  You can find the ALPS Nomination Form here. Forms can be submitted via email to Danielle Winn at danielle.winn@ubc.ca.

We look forward to hearing about your outstanding colleagues!

The award will be presented at this year’s BC Library Conference in Richmond, BC. For more information or to register for the conference, see: http://www.bclibraryconference.ca/.

Please be sure to include the following information:

• Name of nominator
• Name of nominee
• Project or reason for nomination
• Contact information for nominator in case we need to follow up

Criteria for nomination could include:

• Demonstrated (through example and/or statistics) impact on students, colleagues, or the library
• Demonstrated collaboration with colleagues or other institutions
• Worthy of inspiring similar efforts within the profession

We look forward to hearing about your outstanding colleagues!

Nominations are still being accepted for the ALPS Award for Outstanding Service 2013

Established in 2002, the Academic Librarians in Public Service (ALPS) Award for Outstanding Service is presented to an academic public service librarian, or team of same, whose outstanding service has made a real difference to students, faculty, or colleagues in British Columbia.

Nominations are currently being accepted for the ALPS Award for Outstanding Service 2013.  The deadline is Friday, March 15, 2013.  You can find the ALPS Nomination Form here: http://www.bcla.bc.ca/alps/ALPS award/2013_ALPS _Award_Nomination_Form.doc Forms can be submitted via email to Danielle Winn at danielle.winn@ubc.ca.

We look forward to hearing about your outstanding colleagues!

The award will be presented at this year’s BC Library Conference in Richmond, BC. For more information or to register for the conference, see: http://www.bclibraryconference.ca/.

Please be sure to include the following information:

• Name of nominator
• Name of nominee
• Project or reason for nomination
• Contact information for nominator in case we need to follow up

Criteria for nomination could include:

• Demonstrated (through example and/or statistics) impact on students, colleagues, or the library
• Demonstrated collaboration with colleagues or other institutions
• Worthy of inspiring similar efforts within the profession

We look forward to hearing about your outstanding colleagues!

BCLA ALPS Award for Outstanding Service Winners 2009

Established in 2002, the ALPS Award for Outstanding Service is presented to an academic public service librarian, or team of same, whose outstanding service has made a real difference to students, faculty, or colleagues.

This year, at the BCLA Awards Reception held at the BC Library Conference on Fri. April 17th, Ken Cooley (Incoming BCLA President, University of Victoria), presented this award to Stephen Blaeser and Ryan Vernon of the BC College and Institute Library Services (CILS).   CILS is located at Langara College and funded by the B.C. Ministry of Advanced Education and Labour Market Development to provide information services in alternate formats for B.C. post-secondary students with print disabilities: http://www.langara.bc.ca/cils/

As Ken noted during the award presentation: “In making their selection, the ALPS Award Committee noted Stephen’s and Ryan’s innovative approach to supporting print-disabled clients. The committee was particularly impressed by these librarians’ commitment to the principles of service, collaboration, teaching and training, and information sharing across institutions and sectors, within and beyond the library community.”

Congratulations once again to Stephen and Ryan! And many thanks to this year’s ALPS Award Committee members Colleen Bell (University of the Fraser Valley), Paula Farrar (University of British Columbia), Janis McKenzie (Simon Fraser University), and Todd Rowlatt (Vancouver Community College).