ALA Awards Program

Inspiring Others —

The ALA Awards Program annually awards recipients for outstanding service to the profession. This program provides continuing education through scholarships, grants for future projects, and awards for distinguished service. It is our intent that all Award winners will share in their achievement by nominating colleagues or individuals for an award.

Prestige —

Recognition is made for individual achievement of high order in some area of librarianship. In addition, recognition and assistance are given to individuals and groups selected to conduct special studies or projects.   Honorary membership, ALA's highest honor, is conferred in recognition of outstanding contributions of lasting importance to libraries and libararianship. Honorary members are elected by the ALA Council upon recommendation of the ALA Executive Board.

The ALA General Awards are administered by the American Library Association's Governance Office and are commonly referred to as  Recognition Awards.  There are also awards, which include  Book/Media AwardsGrants & Fellowships and  scholarships offered through various  divisionsoffices and  roundtables of the ALA. (Award seals are available for some publications.)

Award Juries —

Serving on an Award Jury can be a rewarding experience. See the  Jury Information and Volunteer Form for more information. A copy of the  ALA Awards Manual can be seen here.

Winners of ALA Awards for individual achievement constitute a "Hall of Fame for Librarianship." For more information on award winners, go to the specific award for a listing of winners.