[Web4lib] OITP, LITA seek nominations for cutting-edge technology practices

[Mark Beatty]

For Immediate Release
October 6, 2011
 
OITP, LITA seek nominations for cutting-edge technology practices
 
Washington, D.C. – The American Library Association (ALA) Office for Information Technology Policy (OITP) and the Library & Information Technology Association (LITA) are soliciting nominations for best library practices using cutting-edge technology. 
 
“We want to showcase libraries that are serving their communities with novel and innovative methods and provide the library community with some successful models for delivering quality library service in new ways,” said Christine Hage, chair of the Cutting-edge Technology in Library Services selection committee. “We welcome LITA’s expertise and additional reach in this effort.”
 
Last year, four libraries were cited for their work: Creekview High School in Canton, Ga.; Orange County Library System in Orlando, Fla.; North Carolina State University Libraries in Raleigh, N.C.; and OhioLINK in Columbus, Ohio.
 
“We are pleased to work with OITP to select and highlight the outstanding work taking place every day in our nation’s school, academic and public libraries, as well as in library consortia and state libraries,” said Mark Beatty, LITA past president and member of the selection committee.
 
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 selected will be publicized via the OITP and LITA websites, highlighted through ALA publications, and featured in a program at the ALA Annual Conference in 2012.
 
“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
 
Additional details, including submission information, for the nomination process can be found on the OITP website.

Contacts: Jenni Terry
Press Officer
jterry at alawash.org
 
Jacob Roberts
Communications Specialist
jroberts at alawash.org
 
ALA Washington Office
(202) 628-8410
 
 
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Mark Beatty
mbeatty at wils.wisc.edu
Training and Automation Librarian
WiLS, 728 State St. Madison WI 53726  (608) 265-5719
http://www.wils.wisc.edu