Janet Hyunju Clarke wins the 2025 ALA Medal of Excellence Award

CHICAGO — Janet Hyunju Clarke, associate dean of research and learning at the Stony Brook University Libraries, New York, has been awarded the ALA Medal of Excellence Award. This annual award, presented by the American Library Association (ALA) and sponsored by OCLC, recognizes creative leadership of high order, particularly in the fields of library management, library training, cataloging and classification and the tools and techniques of librarianship.

The 2025 Medal of Excellence jury is excited to honor Dr. Clarke for her work as the principal investigator of Ready for Success, a grant-funded project to more effectively integrate research skills into the high school curricula by helping teachers scaffold smaller lessons throughout the year. The Ready for Success initiative has transformed research instruction at Brentwood High School (BHS). Students learned to break down the scary “Research Project” into smaller attainable skill sets, which gave them the confidence and skills to think critically, conduct meaningful research, and better navigate the evolving information landscape.

Through their train-the-trainer approach, Clarke and her team developed a comprehensive curriculum to update teacher education about information literacy principles and to equip them with the essential tools to strengthen student research and information literacy skills. Class visits to Stony Brook University provided hands-on academic experience, reinforcing real-world applications of research skills. The initiative has not only created a new community of practice at BHS but has also strengthened partnerships between high school and college educators, easing students’ transition to higher education.

Clarke and her team have shared their expertise at state and national conferences, guiding educators in implementing effective research instruction. Their efforts culminated in the Ready for Success Summit, which gathered more than one hundred teachers, librarians, and school administrators to exchange best practices in research and information literacy. To date, this project has impacted over 1,200 educators and high school students on Long Island, New York, with plans to expand to more schools.

Sara Dallas, chair of the 2025 Medal of Excellence Award committee, praising the initiative, said, “The award committee was impressed by this innovative and vital project that partnered the public high school and the Stony Brook University libraries.”

Under Clarke’s leadership, the project effaced boundaries that too often exist among teachers, librarians, and administrators and between K-12 and higher education environments. It also encouraged a reimagining of what teaching “research skills” can look like across multiple levels and disciplines within a high school building. It strengthened relationships between the university library and school libraries throughout the region.

The 2025 Medal of Excellence will be presented at the ALA President’s Program on Sunday, June 29, during the 2025 ALA Annual Conference in Philadelphia.

Members of the 2025 ALA Medal of Excellence Jury are: Chair Sara Dallas, director, Southern Adirondack Library System, (NY); Tamika Barnes, associate dean, Georgia State University (GA); Nicole LaMoreaux, director of library services LIM College, NY; Samuel Rumore, librarian II, City of Birmingham Public Library (AL); and Karen Yu, librarian, University of Chicago, IL.

Applications for the 2026 ALA Medal of Excellence Award must be submitted by March 1, 2026. Guidelines and forms are available on the ALA website.

About the American Library Association

The American Library Association (ALA) is the only non-partisan, nonprofit organization dedicated entirely to America's libraries and library professionals. For almost 150 years, ALA has provided resources to inspire library and information professionals to transform their communities through essential programs and services. The ALA serves academic, public, school, government, and special libraries, advocating for the profession and the library's role in enhancing learning and ensuring access to information for all. For more information, visit www.ala.org.