Presented by the ILA Youth Services Forum and Children's Plus Inc. in honor of Marion Davis for her active role in services to children at the Des Plaines Public Library and beyond. Often serving as mentor to children’s librarians in the area, Davis was a storyteller extraordinaire, making this oral tradition a link with people, young and old.
Submit a nomination
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Click here to download award nomination guidelines and requirements.
Review the Criteria and Eligibility below.
Purpose
Formerly the Davis Cup Award, this annual award is presented to a librarian serving in the state of Illinois who has made an outstanding contribution in library service to young people. Since its inception in 1971, the award has been presented to individuals who exemplify resourcefulness, professionalism, and caring in their service to young people.
Eligibility
The recipient must be a personal ILA member or be employed at an institution that is an ILA member. The recipient must be a degreed (MLS or MLIS) librarian currently serving children and/or families in a public or school library. A retired librarian may be nominated within the year following retirement. The nominator need not be a degreed librarian. Current members of the Youth Services Forum are ineligible for this award and may not submit a nomination.
Criteria
The nomination should consist of the completed ILA nomination form and a written statement. The statement should be no more than four pages, demonstrating with specific examples how the individual meets the following criteria. A maximum of three references may be included. The criteria for consideration are:
- specialized or innovative programs or services for young people initiated by the nominee;
- service to the library profession through active participation in professional organizations (at the local, state, or national level), the training of others, publishing, etc.;
- the nominee has influenced and/or cooperated with persons and organizations within his/her community in the planning or presenting of programs or services for young people; and
- the nominee has reached and affected persons outside his/her own community by deed, idea, and/or example.
- the nominee is a degreed (MLS or MLIS) librarian currently serving youth in a public or school library.
Award Winners
The recipient will be presented an engraved Revere bowl and a $300 financial award.
Please note that monetary award amounts are subject to change without notice and are contingent upon donor 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 Youth Services Librarian of the Year Award Winners
1971 Marion Davis
1972 Florence Burmeister
1973 Charlemae Rollins
1974 Margaret Bush
1975 Mary Greenawalt
1976 Margaret Pendergrass
1977 Yolanda Federici
1978 Winifred Ladley
1979 Marie C. Will
1980 Elizabeth Huntoon
1981 Barbara Lintner
1982 Leslie Edmonds
1983 Ruth Griffith
1984-85 Maxine Payne
1986 Martha Eads Ward
1987 Paula Moore
1988 Mary Ann Sarver
1989 Jan Eakin Jones
1990 Vivian Carter
1991 Pam Bartusiewicz
1992 A. Denise Farrugia
1993 Mary Gwen Dake
1994 Barbara Driesner
1995 Pamela Klipsch
1996 Denise Zielinski
1997 Mary Agnes Schlather
1998 Anne L. Glasscock
1999 Paula Lopatic
2000 Lois B. Schultz
2001 Jennifer Bromann
2002 Sharon Ball
2003 Tina Hubert
2004 Denise Anton Wright
2005 Karen Egan
2006 Amy Alessio
2007 Mary Adamowski
2008 Lori Craft
2009 Vince Sovanski
2010 Dianne Happ
2011 Lori Pulliam
2012 Sue Quinn
2013 Linda Ward-Callaghan
2014 Ann D. Carlson
2015 Andrew Medlar
2016 Sharon Hrycewicz
2017 Amber Creger
2018 Jennifer Bueche
2019 Heather McCammond-Watts
2020 Katie Clausen
2021 Heather Love Beverly
2022 Jess Alexander
2023 Heidi Knuth
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