I LOVE MY LIBRARIAN AWARD - CARNEGIE CORPORATION OF NEW YORK

Wonderful news! Here is an announcement of a five-year award program that recognizes librarians:

CARNEGIE CORPORATION OF NEW YORK/NEW YORK TIMES I LOVE MY LIBRARIAN AWARD ANNOUNCED

Carnegie Corporation of New York has awarded the American Library Association $489,000 to support the new Carnegie Corporation of New York/New York Times I Love My Librarian Award.

Administered by the ALA's Public Information Office and Campaign for
America's Libraries, the award will launch this year and will continue
annually through 2013. The award encourages library users to recognize
the accomplishments of librarians in public, school, college, community
college and university libraries for their efforts to improve the lives
of people in their community.

Nominations for public librarians run from August 15 through October 1.
Nominations for school and academic librarians begin September 2 and
continue through October 15.

"In our democratic society, the library stands for hope, for learning,
for progress, for literacy, for self-improvement and for civic
engagement. The library is a symbol of opportunity, citizenship,
equality, freedom of speech and freedom of thought, and hence, is a
symbol for democracy itself," said Vartan Gregorian, president of
Carnegie Corporation of New York.

"We're thrilled to be working with the Carnegie Corporation of New York
and the American Library Association to honor librarians who play such a
vital role in our communities," said Scott Heekin-Canedy, president of
The New York Times. "What began as a local Times initiative in New York
City seven years ago has grown to a national awards program and now we
are proud to be co-presenting the award with the Carnegie Corporation of
New York and the ALA."

"This award will continue to raise awareness of the valuable
contributions of today's librarians and the ways they make a difference
in people's lives and their communities, schools and campuses," said ALA
President Jim Rettig.

Up to 10 librarians in public, school and academic libraries will be
selected each year and each will be honored at a ceremony and reception
in New York at TheTimesCenter, hosted by The New York Times. Each
winner also will receive a $5,000 cash award, a plaque and a $500 travel
stipend to attend the awards reception. In addition, a plaque will be
given to each award winner's library.

Nominees will be judged by a selection committee based on quality of
service to library users, demonstrated knowledge of the library and its
resources and commitment shown in helping library users.

Each nominee must be a librarian with a master's degree from a program
accredited by the ALA in library and information studies or a master's
degree with a specialty in school library media from an educational unit
accredited by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher
Education. Nominees must be currently working in the United States in a
public library, a library at an accredited two- or four-year college or
university or at an accredited K-12 school.