CLS Innovation in College Libraries Award

The purpose of the CLS Innovation Award is to recognize small to mid-sized college or university library workers who demonstrate innovation in library services. Innovation should relate to one or more of the ACRL Plan for Excellence (revised in November 2022) areas of focus, which include: demonstrating the value of academic libraries, student learning, research and scholarly environment, new roles and changing landscape, and equity, diversity and inclusion. Innovation can be in the areas of programs, services or operations. 

Self-nominations are welcome.

Award

A certificate for the award recipient. The award is administered by the College Libraries Section of ACRL and juried by the ACRL/CLS Leadership Committee.

Criteria

As nominee(s), library worker(s) must demonstrate a capacity for innovation through:
working with or serving undergraduates or instructors in one (or more) of the areas designated by the ACRL Plan for Excellence: demonstrating the value of academic libraries, student learning, research and scholarly environment, new roles and changing landscape, and equity, diversity, and inclusion. 

OR 

facilitating library colleagues' ability to serve the community within one of the areas designated by the ACRL Plan for Excellence.

The Awards Committee has developed a rubric to narrow the pool of nominations and provide guidance during the committee's selection process.

Eligibility

At least one of the nominees must be an ALA member to be eligible for this award.
Nominees must be in an academic library setting at institutions fitting the Carnegie classifications of Baccalaureate or Masters Colleges and Universities. 

Submissions

Submissions are now closed. Submissions were accepted through December 12, 2025. Nominees will be notified in Spring 2026. 

Electronic submissions through the online nomination form are required. Nominations should include the following:

  1. Please write a description of your project addressing the following points (no more than 750 words)
    - How does the innovation relate to the ACRL Plan for Excellence? Refer to the plan’s areas of focus: demonstrating the value of academic libraries, student learning, research and scholarly environment, new roles and changing landscape, and equity, diversity and inclusion.  
    - How can other libraries or library workers benefit from the innovation?  
    - Discuss the impact of the innovation (i.e. assessments completed, metrics gathered, etc).  
  2. Please provide 1-3 supporting documents as evidence of the work.  Examples of evidence include but are not limited to syllabi, lesson plans, photographs, slideshows, LibGuide, or assessment results.

The selected recipient will provide a statement describing the impact that the project has had on their library. This statement will be used in the announcement for the following year's award call for nominations.

Information & Assistance

Questions should be directed to ACRL staff, acrlawards@ala.org 

Previous Recipients

  • 2020 - Brett Spencer, Sarah Hartman-Caverly, and Alexandria Chisholm, all reference and instruction librarians at Penn State University, Berks Campus - Award Announcement
  • 2019 - Bill Jones and Ben Rawlins, both of the State University of New York (SUNY)-Geneseo Milne Library - Award Announcement
  • 2018 - Teresa D. Williams, Business Librarian at Butler University
  • 2017 - Jennifer Hunter and Christina Riehman-Murphy, both of Penn State-Abington
  • 2016 - Barbara Merolli, College of the Holy Cross
  • 2015 - Melinda Beland, Angie Cox, Melissa Gevaert, Anna Hollingsworth and Linda McLaury, all of the University of Northern Iowa’s Rod Library
  • 2014 - Tish Hayes, Terra B. Jacobson and Troy A. Swanson, all of the Moraine Valley Community College (MVCC) Library
  • 2013 - Erin T. Smith and Jamie P. Kohler, both of the Westminster College McGill Library
  • 2012 - Anne Burke, Adrienne Lai, and Adam Rogers, all of North Carolina State University Libraries
  • 2011 - Catherine Haras and Teresa Portilla Omidsalar, both of California State University at Los Angeles
  • 2010 - Sigrid Kelsey and Angela K. VandenBroek, both of Louisiana State University
  • 2009 - Bruce Connolly and Gail Golderman, both of Union College