Gordon M. Conable Award Jury

Charge

To select annually, a recipient of the Gordon M. Conable Award, which is designed to honor a public library staff member, a library trustee, or a public library, which has demonstrated a commitment to intellectual freedom and the Library Bill of Rights. The recipient of the Gordon M. Conable Award must have demonstrated a commitment to intellectual freedom and the Library Bill of Rights in various ways, including, but not limited, to the following: developed and promoted collections that include diverse points of view; provided programs that promote community dialog on controversial issues; created and nurtured an organizational climate that fosters an understanding of the Library Bill of Rights amongst the library staff, library board, and elected and appointed officials; initiated activities at the local, state, or national level that promote, support, or defend intellectual freedom, the Library Bill of Rights, or the first amendment; guaranteed open access to library materials and services for children and young adults; guaranteed open access to electronic information; defended library materials, programs, or services when confronted with a censorship challenge.

Deliverables and outcomes:

  • For the jury chair and members:
    • Stay apprised of the timeline in which PLA staff opens and closes the nomination application webpage via notices on PLA’s website and PLA members-only emails
    • Review award applications and supporting materials
    • Monitor award criteria and, if necessary, recommend changes in criteria or the jury’s charge
    • Increase awareness of the award and the number of applicants by spreading the word about the call for nominations
  • For the jury chair:
    • Communicate meeting plans with the members of the jury
    • Lead virtual deliberation meetings
    • Vote on a winner in case of a tie among jury members
    • Contact the award’s winner(s) and confirm their acceptance of award
    • Complete jury selection form and send same to jury’s staff liaison

Expected time commitment:

  • Review award applications and supporting materials (1–3 hours/year)
  • Attend virtual deliberation meetings (2–3 hours/year)
  • Respond to emails (1–2 hours/year)

Desired skills, knowledge, or experience:

  • Experience working as a member of a virtual team
  • Ability to critically analyze award submissions and eligibility criteria
  • Strong communication skills

Roster

No roster found.

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Composition

The Gordon M. Conable Award jury consists of members appointed from the membership at large serving 2 year terms and led by a chair.

Origin

Established at the request of the PLA Board.

Staff Liaison

Megan Stewart

Program Coordinator

312-280-5026

mstewart@ala.org

Get Involved

To be a thriving, vibrant organization, PLA must have committed and active committee members. If you are interested in serving on a committee, please read and fill out the online volunteer form.

  • Volunteers are accepted on an ongoing basis.
  • Appointments are made by the PLA President and President-Elect, primarily in the spring.
  • Volunteers must be members of ALA and PLA.

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