Presented by Illinois Library Association and the ILA Awards Committee in honor of Hugh C. Atkinson (1933–1986). Due in large part to his influence, Illinois garnered national recognition in statewide interlibrary cooperation. The award is supported by the Hugh C. Atkinson Memorial Fund and by the Valerie J. Wilford Memorial Fund established in recognition of her enormous contributions to multi-type cooperation and resource sharing.
Not sure how to get started with your nomination?
Click here to download award nomination guidelines and requirements.
Review the Criteria and Eligibility below.
Purpose
The award shall be made annually for sustained activity and contributions having a lasting impact on librarianship, in regards to resource sharing and/or interlibrary cooperation. The recipient may be an individual, a group, a program, or an institution.
Eligibility
The award recipient must meet the criteria outlined. Individuals need not be librarians or ILA members, nor groups associated with ILA or with any specific library organization. Programs may have originated in any institution or organization with or without library affiliation, and an award-winning organization may be a library, a library system or consortium, or a non-library organization.
Criteria
To be considered for this award, the nominee's contribution(s) to interlibrary cooperation and resource sharing may take the form of:
- evidence of a sustained resource sharing or interlibrary cooperative effort over a period of years;
- contribution should be of a permanent quality; and
- performance should serve as a model for similar programs.
- The written statement of support should be based on the above criteria. Attached newspaper clippings or other form of documentation, if available, to the application.
The written statement should support one or more of the applicable criteria. Attach any supporting documentation.
Award Winners
The recipient will receive a certificate, $500 financial award, and have their name added to the plaque at the Illinois State Library.
Please note that monetary award amounts are subject to change without notice and are contingent upon sponsor funding supplied at the time the award is presented.
Nomination Deadline
May 15
Nomination Submissions
The nominator’s statement of support should address all criteria under the individual awards as outlined. Nominator must submit the nomination form and attach all support statements, letters, and documentation, etc., required by the award’s criteria.
If a group, department, or organization is chosen as the award winner, the individual members of the group will be collectively recognized. If more than one individual nominates the same person, only one nominator will be invited to attend the Award Ceremony. ILA must receive all nominations by May 15.
Previous Hugh C. Atkinson Memorial Award Winners
1988 Illinois Valley Library System
1989 Illinois OCLC User's Group
1990 Doris Brown
1991 Jan Ison
1992 No award
1993 Robert Arthur Wallhaus
1994 Charles E. Hale
1995 Bernie Sloan
1996 Bridget Lamont
1997 Richard D. Wagner
1998 Don E. Wood
1999 LIBRAS
2000 James Ubel
2001 No award
2002 Bradley F. Baker
2003 Valerie J. Wilford
2004 Kristine J. Hammerstrand
2005 Jay Starratt and the Illinois State Library Automation and Technology Department
2006 No award
2007 Peggy Sullivan
2008 Sarah Long
2009 SWAN, System Wide Automated Network
2010 Vandella Brown
2011 The Literacy Suite, Waukegan Public Library
2012 ATLAS (Area Training for Librarians and Staff)
2013 IHLS Share Staff & SHARE Committees (Illinois Heartland Library System)
2014 Mattoon Middle School Media Center
2015 Richard Shurman
2016 Dee Brennan
2017 Kathleen Bloomberg
2018 Essie Harris
2019 Roz Topolski
2020 The Rock River Consortia (Dixon Public Library, Milledgeville Public Library, Rock Falls Public Library District, and Sterling Public Library)
2021 Reaching Across Illinois Library System (RAILS)
2022 Booth Library, Eastern Illinois University
2023 Illinois Libraries Present
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