The Grinnell College Libraries have received the Excellence in Academic Libraries Award for 2011 from the Association of College and Research Libraries, a division of the American Library Association. “Receiving an Excellence in Academic Libraries Award is a national tribute to a library and its staff for the outstanding services, programs and leadership they provide to their students, administrators, faculty and community,” said ACRL Executive Director Mary Ellen K. Davis.
The Grinnell College Libraries, winner in the college category, were cited for their mentoring and information literacy programs. “The Burling Library customized the ACRL information literacy standards to create a focused, coherent and successful information literacy instruction program,” said Erika Linke, chair of the 2011 Excellence in Academic Libraries Selection Committee and associate dean of university libraries at Carnegie Mellon University. Linke noted, “The selection committee was impressed with the student mentors program – one example of many connecting the library with students and faculty. The activities of the library demonstrate a continuous effort to improve, adapt, reshape and respond to new expectations.”
The Libraries are delighted to be recognized with this award. It is testimony to the hard work, creativity, and dedication of all the library staff over many years, and to the ongoing support of the campus community. We have worked especially hard to be sure that we, our programs, and our services remain deeply integrated with campus learning, teaching, and research. As libraries continue to evolve, our commitment to the College’s liberal-arts mission and program helps to ensure our effectiveness.
The Libraries' winning application essay describes many of the excellent programs and services that happen in the Libraries, including:
- Library Labs that provide individualized assistance to students working on research projects.
- The Libraries' Doing Research site, which helps guide students through the research process.
- Experiential learning opportunities such as student-curated exhibits.
An award ceremony will be scheduled on campus later this spring. Watch this space for further information!
