The call for nominations for awards is made in September with wide distribution to members and the library community through the ALCTS NewsletterOnline, American Libraries and other professional journals, as well as electronically. For most awards, the deadline for submissions is December 1 of each year. The ALCTS Executive Director sends the press release to ALA's Public Information Officer for such distribution, in addition to posting in ALCTS publications and lists.
Each award is administered by a jury appointed annually by the President-elect or the Chair-elect of the section responsible for administering the award.
The jury may begin its work at the Annual Conference preceding the Annual Conference at which the award is to be made. Each jury has a procedure manual, which outlines the specific guidelines for handling that particular award. Each jury is responsible for:
There are rare instances in which one person may be nominated for more than one award, most likely happening with the two publications awards. Normally, one person should not receive more than one ALCTS award in one year. It is however difficult to eliminate this prospect completely since awards juries work confidentially and the results of their deliberation is not known until the report is filed with the Board. Contact the ALCTS Executive Director if such a situation may arise.
Juries are not obligated to select a winner in any year when appropriate candidates are not available. If no winner is selected, the jury chair must notify the ALCTS President and Executive Director as soon as the decision is made and as far in advance of the Midwinter Meeting as possible.
The award winner for six awards is presented a citation and a financial award of varying values. A scholarship is given to a library school of the winner's choice for the other two awards in addition to the winner receiving a citation. The format of the citation is commensurate with the significance of the contributions to librarianship, which those awards represent, and with the esteem in which the Association, its sections and members hold the recipients. The ALCTS Office prepares the citations and the checks for the winners. Wording of the citation is based upon the information received, and on personal knowledge and judgment of the jury members following the criteria of the award.
The awards are presented at the ALCTS Awards Ceremony during the Annual Conference at a time and place determined by the ALCTS Board. Each award winner is presented with a citation at the ceremony.
Each award chair reads the name of the recipient and the actual citation. It is customary to have the award sponsor present the award to the recipient. Photographs, both formal and informal, are taken to record the event. The ALCTS office handles all arrangements for this ceremony.
The ALCTS office prepares and distributes an announcement in September describing the nomination procedures and providing the name and email address of the incoming jury chair. This announcement requests a formal statement of nomination with brief rationale and a resume or narrative career outline upon which the jury can base its determinations. Endorsements from others should provide evidence of worthiness as each writer has observed it. The notice states that completeness of documentation is desirable, but that the number of letters received for any candidate is not as important as evidence of accomplishment.
By March 1st, the ALCTS Executive Director will distribute a press release announcing the winners of the awards. This press release is distributed through the ALA Public Information Office and by the Office.