September 29, 2004 National Awards Program Recognizes Outstanding Federal Libraries, Librarians and Library Technicians

To honor the many innovative ways in which federal libraries, librarians and library technicians are fulfilling the information demands of government, business, research, scholarly communities and the American public, the Federal Library and Information Center Committee is seeking nominations for its national awards for federal librarianship for fiscal year 2004.

The Federal Library and Information Center Committee (FLICC) fosters excellence in federal library and information services through interagency cooperation and provides guidance and direction for the Federal Library and Information Network (FEDLINK). Created in 1965 and headquartered at the Library of Congress, FLICC also makes recommendations on federal library and information policies, programs and procedures to federal agencies and to others concerned with libraries and information centers.

The 2004 award winners will be honored for their contributions to federal library and information service at the annual FLICC Forum on Federal Information Policies in Washington, D.C., in March 2005. To further recognize these outstanding individuals and programs, a plaque engraved with their names and the names of previous and subsequent winners will be on permanent display in the FLICC offices at the Library of Congress.

Nominations are being accepted for these awards:

Federal Library/Information Center of the Year. This award commends the library or information center’s outstanding, innovative and sustained achievements during fiscal year 2004 in fulfilling its organization's mission, fostering innovation in its services and meeting the needs of its users. The FLICC awards are given to both small library/information centers (with a staff of 10 or fewer federal and/or contract employees) and larger library/information centers (with a staff of 11 or more federal and/or contract employees). All nominations must be made on behalf of an entire library or information center (e.g., main or branch library or information center). Winners in 2003 were the National Institute of Standards and Technology Research Library, Gaithersburg, Md (large); and the Library Services Department at the Naval Medical Center, Portsmouth, Va. (small).

Federal Librarian of the Year. This award honors a federal librarian who demonstrates active and innovative leadership and professionalism in the promotion and development of library and information services during fiscal year 2004. The nominee must be a federal employee and a practicing librarian in a federal library or information center. Lillian Woon Gassie, senior systems librarian, Dudley Knox Library, Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, Calif., was recognized as the 2003 Federal Librarian of the Year.

Federal Library Technician of the Year. This award recognizes the achievements of a federal library technician during fiscal year 2004 for exceptional technical competency and flexibility under changing work conditions. The nominee must be a federal employee and a practicing paraprofessional or library technician in a federal library or information center. In 2003, the Federal Library Technician of the Year was Wilma Riley, library technician, National Institute of Standards and Technology Research Library, Gaithersburg, Md.

To obtain nomination materials, visit the Awards Working Group section of the FLICC Web site (www.loc.gov/flicc/awards.html), call (202) 707-4800 or send e-mail to fliccfpe@loc.gov. The nomination packet includes the nomination form, selection criteria and a list of needed supporting materials. All completed nominations must be postmarked no later than Nov. 12, 2004.