CHICAGO–The nomination deadline has been extended to Jan. 15, 2013, for several annual awards offered by the Reference and User Services Association; the new deadline is Jan. 15, 2013 with the exception of the BRASS Gale Cengage Learning Student Travel Award, which has a deadline of Jan. 31, 2013.

Award criteria, nomination forms and instructions for submissions are available at each of the award’s web pages, which can be accessed by clicking on the award names below. More information about these awards, including nominating instructions, can be found at the RUSA Awards Web page. Monetary award amounts are subject to change without notice and are contingent upon donor funding supplied at the time the award is presented. Questions about these awards should be directed to the committee chairperson or to Leighann Wood, RUSA awards program coordinator at lwood@ala.org.

Awards for Individuals and Groups for Professional Achievement

• The ABC-CLIO Online History Award is a biennial award recognizing an individual or group of people for the development of free, sustainable online history resources. This award consists of $2,500 donated by ABC-CLIO and a citation.
• The Gale Cengage Learning Award for Excellence in Reference and Adult Library Services is given to a library or library system for developing an imaginative and unique resource to meet patrons’ reference needs. Sponsored by Gale Cengage Learning; $3,000 prize and a citation.
• The History Section Genealogical Publishing Company Award is presented to a librarian, library or publisher who is a RUSA member and recognizes professional achievement in historical reference and research librarianship. Sponsored by Genealogical Publishing Company; prize of $1,500 and a citation.
• The Isadore Gilbert Mudge Award honors an individual who has made a distinguished contribution to reference librarianship. Sponsored by Gale Cengage Learning; $5,000 prize and a citation.
• The Louis Shores Award recognizes an individual reviewer, group, editor, review medium or organization for excellence in book reviewing and other media for libraries. The winner receives a citation at the RUSA awards ceremony.
• The Zora Neale Hurston Award honors an individual ALA member who has demonstrated leadership in promoting African-American literature. Sponsored by HarperCollins; the winner receives $1,250 supporting travel to the ALA Annual Conference, a plaque, tickets to the United for Libraries Author Tea event and a set of Hurston’s books in print with HarperCollins at the time of the award.
• The RSS Service Achievement Award is a citation presented annually to a Reference Services Section (RSS) member in recognition of exceptional contributions to the section.
• The MARS “My Favorite Martian” Award is a citation presented annually in recognition of excellence in service to the MARS: Emerging Technologies in Reference Section.

Travel Grants to ALA Annual Conference

• NEW! The BRASS Business Expert Press Award for Academic Business Librarians is sponsored by Business Expert Press and is presented to a new librarian in the field of academic business librarianship in order to support attendance at the ALA Annual Conference. This award consists of $1,250 and a citation.
• The BRASS Gale Cengage Learning Student Travel Award presents $1,000 to a student enrolled in an ALA accredited master’s degree program to fund travel to the ALA Annual Conference. This award’s nomination deadline is Jan. 31, 2013.
• The Morningstar Public Librarian Support Award, sponsored by Morningstar, Inc., offers $1,000 to support the attendance at Annual Conference of a public librarian who has performed outstanding business reference service and who requires financial assistance to attend the conference.
• The STARS/Atlas Systems Mentoring Award offers $1,250 to fund ALA Annual Conference travel expenses for a library practitioner who is new to the field of interlibrary loan/document delivery or electronic reserves and who has daily, hands-on involvement in the areas of borrowing, lending, document delivery, electronic reserves, material delivery or resource sharing.

Research Grants

• NEW! The History Section/Gale Cengage History Research and Innovation Award consists of up to $2500 and a citation. This award is granted to an MLS degreed librarian from an ALA accredited school to facilitate and further research relating to history and history librarianship.
• The BRASS Emerald Research Grant consists of a $5,000 award and a citation presented to individuals and groups seeking support to conduct research in business librarianship. This award is sponsored by Emerald Group Publishing Limited.

For complete details including eligibility, criteria, submission guidelines and committee information, please visit the RUSA Awards page.

The Reference and User Services Association, a division of the American Library Association, represents librarians and library staff in the fields of reference, specialized reference, collection development, readers’ advisory and resource sharing. RUSA is the foremost organization of reference and information professionals who make the connections between people and the information sources, services, and collection materials they need.  Not a member, but interested in discounted registration rates on conference, preconferences and other events? Join, renew or add RUSA to your ALA membership at www.ala.org/membership. Learn more about the association at www.ala.org/rusa.

Are you a public librarian in need of funds to attend ALA’s Annual Conference? You’ve come to the right place!

The Morningstar Public Librarian Support Award, sponsored by Morningstar, offers $1,000 in travel funds to a public librarian who has performed outstanding business reference service and who requires financial assistance to attend the conference. Submit your nomination by December 15!

The winner must be a member of ALA, RUSA and BRASS. The recipient shall have a demonstrated interest in pursuing a career as a business reference librarian and the potential to be a leader in the profession. In addition, he or she will be expected to participate in BRASS activities at the conference for which the award has been made and to write a short statement regarding his or her experience at the conference for publication following the event.

Applicants will be evaluated based on the following: involvement in special projects; creation of a business web site; outstanding service to the community; publications; or related activities.

To nominate a deserving librarian, download and complete a nomination form, following the submission instructions therein. Questions  should be directed to the committee chair, Melissa Jeter at melissacjeter@gmail.com.

Reminder! Nominations are due Dec. 15 for most RUSA awards.

We’re offering travel grants, research grants, achievement awards and more…many with cash prizes! Check out a complete list of awards below.

Do you know someone who should know about one or more of these awards?

You can copy and paste this link to our blog post and share it with them: http://rusa.ala.org/blog/2012/11/28/awards-reminder-2012/

Especially noteworthy this year are two new awards this year: the Gale Cengage History Research and Innovation Award encourages submissions from MLS degreed librarians looking to further research relating to history and history librarianship, and theBRASS Business Expert Press Award for Academic Business Librarians, which recognizes a librarian new to the field of academic business librarianship to attend the ALA Annual Conference.

2013 RUSA Achievement Awards, Travel & Research Grants

The deadline for all nominations is Dec. 15, 2012, with the exception of the BRASS Gale Cengage Learning Student Travel Award, which has a deadline of Jan. 31, 2013, and the RSS Service Achievement Award, which has extended its deadline to Dec. 20. Award criteria, nomination forms and instructions for submissions are available at each of the award’s web pages, which can be accessed by clicking on the award names below. More information about these awards, including nominating instructions, can be found at the RUSA Awards Web page. Monetary award amounts are subject to change without notice and are contingent upon donor funding supplied at the time the award is presented. Questions about these awards should be directed to the committee chairperson or to Leighann Wood, RUSA awards program coordinator at lwood@ala.org.

Awards for Individuals and Groups for Professional Achievement

• The ABC-CLIO Online History Award is a biennial award recognizing an individual or group of people for the development of free, sustainable online history resources. This award consists of $2,500 donated by ABC-CLIO and a citation.
• The BRASS Gale Cengage Learning Award for Excellence in Business Librarianship is presented to an individual who has made a significant contribution to business librarianship. Sponsored by Gale Cengage Learning; $3,000 prize and a citation.
• The Gale Cengage Learning Award for Excellence in Reference and Adult Library Services is given to a library or library system for developing an imaginative and unique resource to meet patrons’ reference needs. Sponsored by Gale Cengage Learning; $3,000 prize and a citation.
• The History Section Genealogical Publishing Company Award is presented to a librarian, library or publisher who is a RUSA member and recognizes professional achievement in historical reference and research librarianship. Sponsored by Genealogical Publishing Company; prize of $1,500 and a citation.
• The Isadore Gilbert Mudge Award honors an individual who has made a distinguished contribution to reference librarianship. Sponsored by Gale Cengage Learning; $5,000 prize and a citation.
• The John Sessions Memorial Award recognizes a library or library system that has made a significant effort to work with the labor community and by doing so has brought recognition to the history and contribution of the labor movement to the development of the United States. Supported by the Department of Professional Employees, AFL-CIO; the winner receives a plaque.
• The Louis Shores Award recognizes an individual reviewer, group, editor, review medium or organization for excellence in book reviewing and other media for libraries. The winner receives a citation at the RUSA awards ceremony.
• The Margaret E. Monroe Library Adult Services Award recognizes a librarian who has made significant contributions to library adult services. The winner receives a citation.
• The Reference Service Press Award recognizes the most outstanding article published in RUSQ during the preceding two-volume year. Sponsored by Reference Service Press; $2,500 prize and a plaque.
• The Virginia Boucher/OCLC Distinguished ILL Librarian Award is given to an individual for his or her outstanding professional achievement, leadership and contributions to interlibrary loan and document delivery. Sponsored by OCLC; $2,000 prize and a citation.
• The Zora Neale Hurston Award honors an individual ALA member who has demonstrated leadership in promoting African-American literature. Sponsored by HarperCollins; the winner receives $1,250 supporting travel to the ALA Annual Conference, a plaque, tickets to the United for Libraries Author Tea event and a set of Hurston’s books in print with HarperCollins at the time of the award.
• The RSS Service Achievement Award is a citation presented annually to a Reference Services Section (RSS) member in recognition of exceptional contributions to the section. Deadline extended to Dec. 20, 2012.
• The MARS “My Favorite Martian” Award is a citation presented annually in recognition of excellence in service to the MARS: Emerging Technologies in Reference Section.

Travel Grants to ALA Annual Conference

• NEW! The BRASS Business Expert Press Award for Academic Business Librarians is sponsored by Business Expert Press and is presented to a new librarian in the field of academic business librarianship in order to support attendance at the ALA Annual Conference. This award consists of $1,250 and a citation.
• The BRASS Gale Cengage Learning Student Travel Award presents $1,000 to a student enrolled in an ALAaccredited master’s degree program to fund travel to the ALA Annual Conference. This award’s nomination deadline is Jan. 31, 2013.
• The Morningstar Public Librarian Support Award, sponsored by Morningstar, Inc., offers $1,000 to support the attendance at Annual Conference of a public librarian who has performed outstanding business reference service and who requires financial assistance to attend the conference.
• The STARS/Atlas Systems Mentoring Award offers $1,250 to fund ALA Annual Conference travel expenses for a library practitioner who is new to the field of interlibrary loan/document delivery or electronic reserves and who has daily, hands-on involvement in the areas of borrowing, lending, document delivery, electronic reserves, material delivery or resource sharing.

Research Grants

• NEW! The History Section/Gale Cengage History Research and Innovation Award consists of up to $2500 and a citation. This award is granted to an MLS degreed librarian from an ALA accredited school to facilitate and further research relating to history and history librarianship.
• The BRASS Emerald Research Grant consists of a $5,000 award and a citation presented to individuals and groups seeking support to conduct research in business librarianship. This award is sponsored by Emerald Group Publishing Limited.

For complete details including eligibility, criteria, submission guidelines and committee information, please visit the RUSA Awards page.