Eli M. Oboler Memorial Award
| Who Was Eli M. Oboler? | Past Recipients |
2008 Oboler Award Press Release
The Eli M. Oboler Memorial Award, which consists of $500 and a certificate, is presented for the best published work in the area of intellectual freedom.
The award was named for the extensively published Idaho University librarian known as a “champion of intellectual freedom who demanded the dismantling of all barriers to freedom of expression.”
Works to be considered for the award may be single articles (including review pieces), a series of thematically connected articles, books, or manuals published on the local, state or national level in English or English translation.
Sponsor and Deadline
The Eli M. Oboler Memorial Award is sponsored by the Intellectual Freedom Round Table (IFRT) of the American Library Association (ALA). The deadline for the biennial award is December 1 of odd-numbered years (e.g., the deadline for the 2010 award will be December 1, 2009).
Nominations
Full criteria and Oboler nomination form are available from the Office for Intellectual Freedom, American Library Association, 50 E. Huron St., Chicago, IL 60611.
Nominations and supporting evidence should be sent to:
Jen Hammond, IFRT Staff Liaison, ALA, 50 E. Huron St., Chicago, IL 60611. Telephone: 312-280-4223 or 800-545-2433, ext. 4223. Fax: 312-280-4227. E-mail: jhammond@ala.org.
Criteria
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It must be an article (including a review article), a series of thematically connected articles, a book, or a manual published on the local, state, or national level, in English or in English translation. It need not have appeared in the "library press."
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It must have as its central concern one or more issues, events, questions, or controversies in the area of intellectual freedom, including matters of ethical, political, or social concern related to intellectual freedom.
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It must also be demonstrably relevent to the concerns and needs of mambers of the library community, including the worlds of publication (print and nonprint) and communication.
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It must, in the opinion of hte judges (which is final), meet high standards of literary quality, accuracy, and responsibility. The principal focus of evaluation will, of course, be the writing, but other considerations may, in the opinion of the judges be relevant. These may range from the use of particularly effective illustrations to recognition for the difficult nature of the background research or the subject itself, or for special courage or persistaence displayed in writing and publishing the work.
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The work must have been published within the two-year period ending the December prior to the ALA Annual Conference at which it is granted. For example, the 2010 award will be granted to a work published in 2008 and 2009.