Home  Swap and shop 07 FAQ

What are the Best of Show Awards?

The annual Best of Show Awards recognize the very best public relations materials produced by libraries in the past year. This year’s competition will award and recognize original materials produced during the 2006 calendar year.

Who sponsors the Best of Show Awards?

The American Library Association/Library Administration and Management Association/Public Relations and Marketing Section/Swap and Shop Committee sponsors and oversees the Best of Show competition.

What’s new with the Best of Show Awards this year?

• The reading program materials may come from cooperative reading programs. These materials must be created in-house and be original in nature.  If using clip art or resources from the Collaborative Library Summer Program or another such organization, please explain in Question #3 on the Entry Form why the piece is an original creation.
• If you have public relations materials that do not fit into the Best of Show categories, you are welcome to send them to the Swap & Shop show for display on the new Wild Card table (these could include newspaper ads, mascots, etc.). More information about this will be provided in the call for Swap & Shop materials.

What is Swap & Shop?

Swap & Shop is the ALA Annual Conference event where you can create a custom public relations idea kit to take home, and where Best of Show winners are displayed and recognized. Best of Show winning materials, as well as promotional materials from libraries across North America, are available for attendees to pick up and peruse as they seek ideas for their own public relations efforts. Attendees can learn how to improve their own promotional materials by studying the PR Makeovers and consulting with PR Doctors during the event. In addition, members of the John Cotton Dana Award committee will answer questions about this year’s winners and how to enter this competition.

How are the Best of Show winners selected?

Materials are judged on the quality of content, originality, design, format and effectiveness. Judges will consider items such as the uniqueness of the approach, audience appeal, presentation of information in a clear and informative way, visual appeal, appropriateness of design/gfx/photos and uniqueness of format. The judges are chosen from a field of experts in the areas of Librarianship, Public Relations, and Marketing. They reserve the right not to award a prize in a particular category if deemed appropriate.

What types of material may be submitted?

Original print materials (such as book bags, flyers, booklists, bookmarks, etc.) may be submitted in any of the following categories:

• Adult and Family Reading Materials (including One Book reading materials) *
• Annual Reports
• Bibliographies and Booklists
• Calendars of Events / Newsletters
• Children's Reading Program Materials *
• Fundraising Materials
• Printed Materials Promoting Websites
• Services Available / Orientation Materials / Policy Materials
• Special Events and Programs
• Young Adult Summer Reading Club Materials *
• Library Home Pages / Web Pages

* Reminder: if you use clip art or resources from the Collaborative Library Summer Program or another such organization, please explain in Question #5 on the Entry Form why the piece is an original creation.

How do I enter the Best of Show competition?

For each individual submission, complete (print or type) one Best of Show Entry Form, located at

http://www.ala.org/ala/lama/lamacommittees/publicrelationsb/swapandshop/swapshop07entryformdoc.htm

Attach the appropriate completed form to exactly four copies of your entry and submit to the below address. Remember:

• A Library may submit only one entry per category and the category selected must be clearly marked on the entry form.
• An entry cannot be entered into more than one category and must be entered into the category most closely describing the piece.
• Incomplete submissions or entry forms may result in elimination from the competition.
• If you are submitting a copy of your library’s home page, capture the page on a CD (saved as an HTML file) and send four such CDs with your entry form.

Where should entries be submitted?

Each individual entry (including the entry form and four attached copies of the entry) should be sent to:

Swap and Shop Best of Show

ATTN: Luke Vilelle

University Libraries, Virginia Tech

1 Kent St.

Blacksburg, VA 24062-9001

What is the entry deadline?

Entries for the Best of Show competition must be postmarked no later than April 1, 2007.

When are winners notified?

Winners will be notified by late April. They will be asked to submit between 100 and 200 copies (but please do not let this request keep you from submitting materials to the Best of Show competition) of each winning entry for display and distribution during the Swap and Shop Program at the ALA Annual Conference in Washington, D.C. The notification will include the address to which the copies should be sent and directions for preparing the mailings.

Winners will be recognized and receive their award certificates at the Best of Show Awards Ceremonies held at the annual Swap and Shop program. We strongly encourage winners (or another library representative) to attend this event to accept their award. Winners may have their pictures taken at the awards ceremony for their own public relations materials.

When do the Best of Show Awards take place?

Awards will be presented at the 2007 Swap & Shop event on Sunday, June 24, at 12:30pm. The Swap & Shop event will run from 11am to 1:30 pm. Check the final ALA Annual Conference Program for the exact location.