IACRL People’s Choice Award in Scholarly Publishing

The IACRL People’s Choice Award in Scholarly Publishing was established in 2020.  This award gives academic and research librarians throughout Illinois the opportunity to read and evaluate scholarly works by their peers and then vote on a favorite. It also presents Illinois research and academic librarians with the opportunity to share their findings outside of a conference or other formal setting. Voting is open to all staff members at Illinois academic and research libraries, consortia, and related organizations.

There will be a first-place, second-place, and third-place recipient. (Ties for each place are acceptable.) The winners will have the opportunity to present on their articles either in a special webinar or at a future meeting of the IACRL Journal Club.

Award Criteria

Organization and content of submission

  • Is it divided into separate sections for the introduction, research question, methodology, results, conclusions, etc.? 
  • Do the initial question, the methods for data collection and analysis, and the findings demonstrate a thorough and accurate research process?
  • Are any graphs, tables, or other visual representations clearly related to the information in the text?
  • Does the abstract clearly summarize the main points?


Clarity of writing and relevance of sources

  • Is the information in the submission easy for someone unfamiliar with the topic to understand?
  • Are any technical terms or concepts clearly explained, including in visual representations, as one would expect in a scholarly publication?
  • Are the sources that are cited or listed professional works providing context for the research? 


Relevance to Illinois libraries

  • Is this a study you could see recreating at your own library, at least on a certain scale?
  • Could you apply the conclusions of the research to daily operations at your own library, such as improving an existing service or adding a new one?
  • Is this a scholarly publication you would recommend to a colleague?

Award Timeline

  • January:  Call for submissions goes out.
  • February:  Deadline for submissions.
  • March: The submissions are published on the IACRL website.
  • Voting Opens April 1 through April 30.
  • May: Winners are announced.
iREAD Summer Reading Programs

Since 1981, iREAD provides high quality, low-cost resources and products that enable local library staff to motivate children, young adults, and adults to read.

Visit the iREAD website »