Virginia Boucher/OCLC Distinguished ILL Librarian Award Committee

Charge:

To administer a $2,000 award that recognizes a librarian for outstanding professional achievement, leadership, and contributions to interlibrary loan and document delivery through publication, during the previous two years, of significant professional literature, participation in professional associations, and/or innovative approaches to practice in individual libraries.

Chair (2023-2024):

Name: Melissa Eighmy Brown

E-mail: eighm002@umn.edu

Link to Current Roster

About the Virginia Boucher OCLC Distinguished ILL Librarian Award

The Boucher Award recognizes and honors a degreed librarian for outstanding professional achievement, leadership and contributions to ILL and document delivery through publication of significant professional literature, participation in professional associations, and/or innovative approaches to practice in individual libraries. It consists of a $2,000 cash award and a citation.

Nominees must have been employed in a library and held some responsibility for their institution's ILL, document delivery or resource sharing services at the time the contribution was made for the nomination. Contributions supporting a nomination must have occurred during the two years prior to the nomination deadline.

Nominees must have demonstrated achievement in at least one of the following areas:

Planning and implementation of an innovative or pioneering approach to ILL/document delivery service that is recognized as a model regionally or nationally.
Notable publication(s), such as an article, book, or conference paper which is recognized as a significant contribution to the literature.
A record of sustained, recognized, and exceptional participation in regional, national or international associations devoted to the promotion of ILL/document delivery in a library environment.

Nominations are due December 15 each year and consist of an application form; a letter, which includes a formal statement of nomination with some rationale; and a resume of the nominee's career and achievements.

Winners are selected based on the merit and significance of their contribution(s) and their leadership role in the profession. For example, publications in a refereed journal are considered more significant than those in a non-refereed journal. Professional service is evaluated based on its overall impact to the ILL community. Local service innovations which are recognized as a model for other institutions are considered more prestigious than those which cannot be adapted to other institutions.

The Boucher Award is presented annually at the ALA Annual Conference during RUSA STARS Interlibrary Loan Discussion Group meeting. It is given to an individual or group of individuals who collaborated on the winning contribution. If a suitable candidate is not found, the Boucher Award will not be presented that year.

The Boucher Award Committee wishes to thank OCLC for its generosity and ongoing support of this prestigious award.

Previous Recipients of the Boucher Award:

2000 -- Joanne Halgren

2001 -- Lynn Wiley

2002 -- Tom Delaney

2003 -- Mary A. Hollerich

2004 -- Joan Stein

2005 -- Harry M. Kriz

2006 -- Arlene Cohen

2007 -- Anne K. Beaubien

2008 -- Suzanne Ward

2009 -- Barbara Coopey

2010 -- Cherié L. Weible

2011 -- Ed Rivenburgh

2012 -- Cyril Oberlander

2013 -- Collette G. Mak

2014 -- David Larsen

2015 -- Lars Leon

2016 -- Tina Baich

2017 -- Peter Bae

2018 -- Kurt Munson

2019 -- Zach Lane