2024 VLA Award Nominations Due May 1

It is time to recognize those special library colleagues, mentors, trustees, and supporters who inspire us and who help create the community that we value. Nominations are open for the Vermont Library Association’s five annual awards.

The Birdie Award was created in March 2014 as a memorial to University of Vermont librarian Birdie MacLennan to honor outstanding service in the field of technical services.

The Green Mountain Award is given as the opportunity arises to individuals or organizations for distinguished service, support, or unusual contributions to a Vermont library or libraries.

The Sarah C. Hagar Award acknowledges exceptional service in or significant contribution to the field of librarianship in Vermont. Nominees for the Sarah C. Hagar award must be working in a Vermont library (public, academic, school, or special) and be a member of VLA.

The Senator Patrick Leahy Library Advocate of the Year Award is given when deemed warranted by the VLA Government Relations Committee to an outstanding public advocate for libraries in local, state, or national government.

The Trustee of the Year Award recognizes outstanding achievement by a trustee on behalf of his or her library, either during the previous year or during his or her years of service. Nominations may be submitted by any library trustee, library board, librarian, member of a Friends group, or VLA member.

Nominations including a few letters that present a well-rounded picture of the candidate are preferred to a single letter, or many letters that all say similar things. If a nomination is made by more than one person, please designate one signatory as the contact person.

Nomination letters and supporting materials are due by May 1, 2024. For more information about the awards, nomination procedures, and previous recipients visit the Scholarship and Awards Committee web page.

Winners will be announced at the annual Vermont Library Conference on Monday, May 20, at the Killington Grand Hotel and Resort Center.

Vermont Library Association 2023 Award Recipients

Six people received 2023 Vermont Library Association awards, presented for outstanding service to and support of the state’s libraries. The awards were presented during the annual Vermont Library Conference on April 3, 2023.

Senator Patrick Leahy was named Library Advocate of the Year. “VLA is greatly appreciative of all Senator Leahy has done for libraries in our state,” said Pamela Cartier, VLA Scholarships & Awards Committee Co-Chair and coordinator of the Community Legal Information Center (CLIC) at the Vermont Law School’s Julien and Virginia Cornell Library. “His unwavering support and advocacy of libraries will have impacts on Vermont communities for many years to come.”

John Tracy, former state director to Senator Patrick Leahy, accepting the Library Advocate of the Year award for the Senator from Scholarship and Awards Committee co-chair Mary Danko.

2023 VLA Award Nominations Open

There are so many excellent librarians and trustees in Vermont that it is hard to single out just one of each annually, but there are always ones who are extraordinary and deserved to be recognized statewide. Now is the time to nominate those deserving colleagues. Winners will be recognized and awarded at the VLA Conference on Monday, April 3, 2023.

To place a person in nomination for any award, please send the nominee’s name, the name of their library, a letter or letters explaining why this person should receive the award, along with your name, library, telephone number, and e-mail address, Send this information to VLA Awards Committee co-chair mdanko[at]burlingtonvt.gov.

Nominations that include a few letters that present a well-rounded picture of the candidate are preferred to a single letter, or many letters that all say similar things. If a nomination is made by more than one person, please designate one signatory as the contact person. Nominations are due by Wednesday, March 1, 2023.Read more→