Cannon Memorial Library, Saint Leo University, honored with LIRT Innovation in Instruction award

CHICAGO — The American Library Association's (ALA) Library Instruction Round Table (LIRT) awarded its inaugural Innovation in Instruction Award at ALA Annual Conference on Sunday, June 29, 2014 to Cannon Memorial Library of Saint Leo University in Florida.  The award was accepted by Jacalyn Bryan, assistant professor and reference and instruction services librarian, and Elana Karshmer, instruction program and information literacy librarian on behalf of Cannon Memorial. The Innovation in Instruction Award was created to recognize a library that demonstrates innovation in support of information literacy and instruction, with an emphasis on low-cost and easily reproducible innovations.

The librarians at Cannon Memorial Library designed an effective and innovative take on the traditional new student orientation library scavenger hunt, developing a multi-stage program based around a “Mission Impossible” theme that involved saving Fritz, the University’s mascot. Paula C. Johnson, chair of the LIRT Awards Committee, explained, “Their instruction utilized a flipped classroom approach, a video tutorial, and team-based learning that incorporated gamification. The program has clear objectives, was relatively low cost and reproducible, and had a built-in assessment plan.”

The Library Instruction Round Table was started in 1977 with the intent to bring together librarians who provide library instruction across all types of libraries — academic, public, school and special libraries. 2014 is the first year that the Library Innovation in Instruction Award has been awarded. Cannon Memorial Library was presented with a $1000 cash prize, plaque and $500 travel stipend for its librarians attending ALA Annual Conference.

Find out more about LIRT, its mission, and the awards at: http://www.ala.org/lirt/mission

LIRT Librarian Recognition Awards Committee:
Paula C. Johnson, New Mexico State University (CHAIR)
Jeff Knapp, Pennsylvania State University Altoona
Michael Saar, Lamar University