Mirza receives ACRL CJCLS EBSCO Community College Learning Resources Leadership Award

CHICAGO – The Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL), is pleased to announce that Melora Mirza, associate library director at the Georgia Perimeter College (GPC), Dunwoody Campus, has been chosen to receive the 2011 Community and Junior College Libraries Section (CJCLS) EBSCO Community College Learning Resources Leadership Award.

The $500 award and plaque, donated by EBSCO Information Services, will be presented to Mirza during the ALA Annual Conference in New Orleans in June.

“Melora Mirza has demonstrated through her years of public and academic library service the true spirit of the CJCLS/EBSCO award,” said award chair Steven L. Irving, electronic services librarian at Southern Utah University. “Mirza not only leads by example but is happy to help bring new members into the fold and share her enthusiasm and love of her profession.”

For two years Mirza co-chaired the GPC Convocation Committee, which plans the fall convocation for faculty and staff to kick-off the academic year. She currently serves as chair of the GPC Library Dunwoody Exhibits Committee and she works with the GPC Clarkston Campus Fine Arts liaison to bring local art and artists to Dunwoody. She was also responsible for initiating an annual student art display on the Dunwoody campus.

Mirza was instrumental in bringing a library technician program to GPC, working with college administrators and others to guide the new program through the organizational and implementation stages. She speaks to library groups around the state to promote the program.

“This is a direct example of dual contributions through active committee services on CJCLS and simultaneous advocacy for a library program back at the home institution,” Mirza noted.

Mirza earned her MLS in 1972 from Dominican University and received her Master’s of Teaching English at Agnes Scott College in 2001.

**

ACRL is a division of the American Library Association (ALA), representing more than 12,000 academic and research librarians and interested individuals. ACRL is the only individual membership organization in North America that develops programs, products and services to meet the unique needs of academic and research librarians. Its initiatives enable the higher education community to understand the role that academic libraries play in the teaching, learning and research environments. ACRL is on the Web at http://www.acrl.org, Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/ala.acrl and Twitter at @ala_acrl.