Distinguished Service Award:

Announcement & Guidelines

Purpose

Criteria

1. Outstanding and sustained service to the profession through active participation, advocacy, or leadership in ARLIS/NA or related organizations.


2. Outstanding and sustained service to a library or visual resource collection in a manner consistent with the highest standards of the field. These standards may be met in a variety of ways, including activity which involves exceptional creativity, innovation, intellectual or moral courage, leadership, scholarship.


3. Outstanding research and/or publication in any media or format that contributes to the further understanding and development of art information, art librarianship, or visual collections management.


4. Outstanding and sustained performance as a teacher in the field of art librarianship, visual resources curatorship, or a closely related field.

Eligibility

• Recipients need not be members of ARLIS/NA.


• The award may be given posthumously.


• Current members of the Executive Board, other ARLIS/NA officers or appointees, and previous recipients of the award are not eligible for nomination.

Procedures

1. Nominations for the Distinguished Service Award may come from any of the following sources: ARLIS/NA personal members, an ARLIS/NA Chapter, a region representing several ARLIS/NA Chapters, or a group of ARLIS/NA members at-large. Nominations may not come from current members of the Executive Board nor from members of the Awards Committee.


2. Nominations are made in writing to the Chairperson of the Awards Committee of ARLIS/NA c/o ARLIS/NA Headquarters. Nominations for the Distinguished Service Award are solicited at least annually.


3. Nominations are made in the form of a letter, written over a single signature or multiple signatures, which should express the accumulated weight and significance of the nominee's career.
   
   This official letter of nomination should be accompanied by supporting evidence. Such evidence typically shall include:
   • letters of support from colleagues and associates representing the breadth of the nominee's contribution;
   • a career resume or published biography where available;
   • a bibliography of publications;
   • copies of selected publications, commendations;
   • and other appropriate documentation.
   Focused presentations are encouraged. It is the responsibility of the nominator(s) to provide all supporting documentation. The deliberations and decisions of the Committee will be based on an objective review of the documentation presented to it. However, additional supporting materials may be requested by the Awards Committee from nominators for purposes of clarification and/or explanation.


4. The Awards Committee acknowledges the receipt of nominations to the principal nominators, reviews nominations, and forwards its final recommendation to the President. The names of other nominees shall remain confidential.


5. The ARLIS/NA President notifies the Chairperson of the Awards Committee, and the recipient of the Award. The Chairperson of the Awards Committee notifies the principal nominators of both the Award recipient and unsuccessful nominations.


6. The ARLIS/NA President selects the person who will write the tribute which appears in the Convocation program, and the abbreviated citation which will appear on the Award certificate. The certificate is signed by both the ARLIS/NA President and the Awards Committee Chairperson. In consultation with the principal nominator, the President also selects the person who will make the presentation remarks at the Convocation. The name of an Award recipient will not be publicly announced before the Convocation at the Annual Conference.


7. Documentation for unsuccessful nominations will be destroyed to ensure confidentiality. The nominating packet of the Award recipient will be forwarded to the ARLIS/NA Archives along with other papers of the Awards Committee.


8. Where a nomination is unsuccessful, the initiators are encouraged to consider resubmitting the following year. The nomination package should be reviewed to ensure that the documentation and supporting letters fully address the breadth of the nominee's various achievements in relation to the stated criteria.

Deadline

Award

1. The recipient is invited to attend the Annual Conference at which the Award is presented, and will receive complimentary registration and airfare.


2. During the Convocation at the Annual Conference, there will be a presentation ceremony when the ARLIS/NA President will present the Award recipient with a certificate, and the person selected by the President will deliver presentation remarks.


3. Accompanying the award will be a lifetime membership in ARLIS/NA.

Publicity

1. Nominations will be solicited through ARLIS-L, the ARLIS/NA web site, and other appropriate means prior to the annual meeting. The announcement will include the names of all recipients of the Award.


2. The announcement of the name of the recipient of the Distinguished Service Award will be publicized by the ARLIS/NA Headquarters following the Annual Conference. The list of addresses for press releases which is maintained at Headquarters may be supplemented by addresses supplied by the nominator and/or recipient.


3. A list of all Distinguished Service Award recipients is published in the "Handbook and List of Members," as well as on the ARLIS/NA Web Site.