The School Library Association of Victoria are proud to announce their 2010 Awards. The John Ward Award, The SLAV Research Fellowship, The SLAV Innovator’s Grant and the SLAV School Leaders Award are presented each year.  Applications close on Friday 17 September 2010. This is a fantastic opportunity to recognise the contributions of a colleague.

The John Ward Award

John Ward was a founding member of SLAV in the early 1960s, a founding member of Australian School Library Association in 1968 and a founding member of the International Association of School Librarianship.

He held the positions of Secretary and President of SLAV for many years and was the Secretary of ASLA during the 1970s, a period of rapid library expansion.

In recognition of John’s contribution to our profession, the SLAV Council established the John Ward Award in 1998, with a professional development grant of $2000 to be awarded annually.

The recipient/s must demonstrate an outstanding contribution to learning and teaching at their school and raise the profile of the profession through their role as teacher-librarian.

The SLAV Research Fellowship

In recent years education authorities have based curriculum reform on the results of research projects that have been carried out here and overseas.

Academics and practitioners alike have emphasised the need to carry out action research projects and document the impact that our school library programs have on student learning outcomes.

The SLAV Research Fellowship supports research projects that involve school libraries in learning and teaching.
The fellowship will take the form of a $1000 grant to provide practical support to a teacher-librarian implementing a local research project.

The SLAV Innovator’s Grant

Sponsored by Pledger Consulting Pty Ltd – Links Plus

In conjunction with Pledger Consulting, SLAV is particularly pleased to sponsor an award that goes to an innovative library or school team. Teams may self nominate or be nominated by SLAV branches.

The grant will consist of a package of SLAV professional development and/or publications to the value of $800 plus $200 worth of Pledger Consulting products.

SLAV would like to take this opportunity to thank Pledger Consulting for their generous sponsorship of this award. Over a period of many years Pledger Consulting Pty Ltd has provided directories of internet sites to learners, teacher-librarians and teachers in schools. All of their products are designed to guide research and save time for students, teachers and librarians.

The SLAV School Leader Award

Research has indicated that principal or school leader support of the library program is critical in encouraging teacher / teacher-librarian collaboration and in making the library program an integral part of the learning and teaching of the school. (Colorado Study, 1999)

The SLAV School Leader Award is made to a school leader who demonstrates outstanding support of the school library and the work of the school library team.

The award recipient will be recognised by the presentation of a certificate at the International School Libraries Day Dinner. School leaders can be nominated by a teacher-librarian or the school library team (SLAV membership required to nominate). School personnel who are members of the school leadership team within the school are eligible to be nominated.