“Cutting edge” refers to tested and successful implementations of technological advancements used in services such as:

• Improvements in traditional services and processes by inventing/re-inventing/twisting technology
• Introduction of new, innovative services that are flexible and responsive to community needs
• Methods for connecting libraries to their communities
• Funding initiatives or organizational models that ensure library information technology will remain current

• Application development (apps)
• Architecture and design
• Circulation (sorting, remote distribution, materials handling, delivery mechanisms)
• Collections
• Community services (to include equity, outreach, programming and assessment of services)
• Curation
• E-resources management services
• Instruction/information literacy
• Knowledge creation
• Open source
• Pathfinders
• Patron services (to include self-services and privacy protection)
• Participatory services (e.g., student-created content, community polling, wikis)
• Professional development
• Readers’ advisory
• Reference services
• Staff management (use of self-scheduling, recruitment and evaluation)
• Unique missions
• User interface
• Web services
• Other

Nominations should include the following:

• A description of the project/service
• An explanation of how the service/procedure is cutting-edge
• Information about the evolution of the project (identification of need, why it is novel, funding sources/options, challenges, how success was measured, and recommendations)

Applicants may also submit supporting materials in a variety of media, such as Flickr, YouTube, video, audio, blogs, etc.).

Nominations:

• Must involve the use of technology
• Must be a novel idea or implementation of a service
• Must be able to be documented for replication
• Must be for a library that has been involved in the development of the service or product (can’t just buy something off the shelf) or has enhanced the product for added value

A joint committee of members from the Subcommittee on America’s Libraries for the 21st Century and LITA will review all nominations and may conduct selected interviews or site visits to identify those libraries that are truly offering a best practice or most innovative service.  Libraries or library service areas will be publicized via the OITP and LITA websites, as well as highlighted through ALA publications and programs at the ALA Annual Conference in 2012. 

The nomination form (.docx) is available online and may be emailed or faxed to Larra Clark at lclark@alawash.org or fax 202-628-8419.

Learn more about the program and past winners on the OITP website.