Month: January 2021

Overview

In recognition of the fact that library staff are our greatest asset in building and supporting sustainable libraries and communities, the ALA Sustainability Roundtable (SustainRT) is recognizing libraries that go above and beyond in meeting the wellness needs of their staff with the SustainRT Citation for Wellness in the Workplace. All ALA members are invited to nominate any library whose efforts to meet the needs of their staff in the areas of continuing education and creating a positive work environment have advanced sustainability and encouraged wellness. This may include wellness initiatives for unions, gender equity, pay equity, and other activities designed to improve the salaries and status of library professionals. The SustainRT Citation for Wellness in the Workplace was initiated by ALA past Loida Garcia-Ferbo.

Eligibility

Libraries must be nominated by an ALA member. To nominate a library initiative/effort, nominators must complete and submit the online nomination form. Distinct efforts by a library, consortia or organization may be nominated separately in the same year.

Criteria

The following criteria will be used in the selection process:

1. The recipient should have designed and implemented an effort to benefit their library staff in the areas of continuing education, wellness, positive work environment, unions, salaries, gender equity, pay equity initiatives, and other activities designed to improve the salaries and status of librarians and other library workers within the last three (3) years.
2. The effort(s) must have greatly improved existing work conditions for library workers.
3. The effort(s) must demonstrate a strong likelihood of sustainability and have potential to serve as a model for other libraries.
4. The effort(s) must be current, that is, it must be in operation during the year that the Citation is awarded.

Deadline

March 15, 2021.

Nomination Process

ALA members may nominate libraries and organizations using the nomination from here [LINK]

Citation Awarding Process

Individuals submitting nominations along with the winning library will be notified by April 23, 2021regarding the decision of the SustainRT Awards Committee. 

An invitation letter to attend the SustainRT Annual Meeting and accept the citation will be issued to the winner. 

Recipients of the SustainRT Citation for Wellness do not receive funds for travel or other financial rewards.

The successful nomination will receive a plaque from the current SustainRT Coordinator during the ALA Annual Conference. The Citation will be announced through ALA and SustainRT communication channels including through an announcement on the SustainRT website and shared with ALA’s Communications and Marketing Office.

Questions

Casey Conlin

cconlin@midhudson.org