AALL Spectrum Article of the Year Award

Description

The AALL Spectrum Article of the Year Award honors outstanding achievement in writing an article that contributes to topics relating to librarianship, law librarianship, and practical applications for library work or to an understanding of legal materials, legal systems, legal information, or to professional and staff training and development. The winner is selected on the basis of quality of writing and effectiveness of the communication technique. The AALL Spectrum Article of the Year Award is open to both members and nonmembers.

Purpose

The purpose of the award is twofold: (1) to honor outstanding achievement in writing as represented by a work published in AALL Spectrum; and (2) to encourage the submission of such works of high quality to AALL Spectrum.

Process

Criteria

The following are factors that may be considered in determining the recipient of the award:

Contributions to topics relating to librarianship, law librarianship, and practical applications for library work or to an understanding of legal materials, legal systems, legal information, or to professional and staff training and development. Quality of writing and effectiveness of the communication technique utilized for the information sought to be conveyed.

Eligibility

All articles published in AALL Spectrum during the previous year of publication will be eligible to be considered for the award. The previous year of publication is considered to be January through December. Length and format of the article will not affect eligibility.

Articles originally published elsewhere will not be eligible for the award.  However, revisions of previously published works or pieces originally presented in another form or media (e.g, paper presented at a conference) will be eligible for consideration.

Procedure

The AALL Spectrum Article of the Year Award is determined under the following procedure:

  1. The editor of AALL Spectrum shall prepare a list of all eligible articles no later than three weeks after publication of the last issue under consideration.
  2. The AALL Spectrum Article of the Year Award Jury shall select one or more recipients for the award or no recipient if it deems none of the nominees sufficiently qualified.
  3. The award recipient(s) must be selected by March 1, 2023.
  4. The award will be announced and presented during a virtual awards presentation and at the Annual Meeting following the selection of the recipient by the AALL Spectrum Article of the Year Award Jury.

Winners

  • 2020 - 2023

    2023

    CO-AUTHORS

    John J. DiGilio
    Firmwide Director of Library Services
    Sidley Austin LLP
    Los Angeles, CA

    Courtney Toiaivao
    Director of Research Services
    Holland & Knight LLP
    New York, NY

    “The Great Resignation: Obstacle or Opportunity?,” AALL Spectrum Vol. 26, No. 5 (May/June 2022)

    2022

    CO-AUTHORS

    Pablo D. Arredondo
    Co-Founder and Chief Innovation Officer
    Casetext
    Palo Alto, CA

    Javed Qadrud-Din
    Machine Learning Engineer
    Meta Platforms, Inc.
    Union City, CA

    “From Vellum to Vectors,” AALL Spectrum, Vol. 25, No. 5 (May/June 2021)

    2021

    CO-AUTHORS

    Edna L. Lewis
    Reference Librarian
    UC Berkeley School of Law Library
    Berkeley, CA

    Clanitra Stewart Nejdl
    Head of Professional Development and Research Services Librarian; Lecturer in Law Vanderbilt University, Alyne Queener Massey Law Library
    Nashville, TN

    “Academic Law Libraries & the Early Days of the COVID-19 Pandemic,” AALL Spectrum, Vol. 25, No. 1 (September/October 2020)

    2020

    Rena Seidler
    Reference Librarian
    Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law
    Indianapolis, ID

    “Shedding Light on Legal Research Accessibility Issues for the Blind,” AALL Spectrum, Vol. 23, No. 3 (January/February 2019)

  • 2010 - 2019

    2019

    CO-AUTHORS

    Rachel P. Licona
    Staff Attorney, Family and Probate Divisions
    Sixth Judicial Circuit Court
    Clearwater, FL

    Taryn Marks
    Professor of Legal Research &
    Faculty Services Librarian
    University of Florida
    Gainesville, FL

    “Enhancing the Online Learning Environment,” AALL Spectrum, Vol. 22, No. 4 (March/April 2018)

    2018

    Lori B. Andrews
    University Distinguished Professor of Law
    Director of the Institute for Science, Law and Technology
    IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law
    Chicago, IL

    “iSpy: Threats to Individual and Institutional Privacy in the Digital World,” AALL Spectrum, Vol. 21, No. 5 (May/June 2017)

    2017

    Pat Newcombe
    Associate Dean for Library and Information Resources
    Western New England University School of Law Library
    Springfield, MA

    “Crowdsourcing Legal Research: The Opportunities and Challenges,” AALL Spectrum, May/June 2016

    2016

    Jason Hawkins
    Research Librarian
    Thurgood Marshall Law Library, Francis King Carey School of Law
    University of Maryland
    Baltimore, MD

    David E. Matchen Jr.
    Circulation/Reference Librarian
    University of Baltimore Law Library
    University of Baltimore School of Law
    Baltimore, MD

    “Faced With Crisis: The Importance of Establishing a Comprehensive Crisis Management Plan,” AALL Spectrum, November/December 2015

    2015

    Christine Bowersox
    Collection Management Librarian
    Harris Beach PLLC
    Pittsford, NY

    Kristen M. Hallows
    Research Librarian
    Bricker & Eckler LLP
    Columbus, OH

    “Dialectic of Transformation: The Shaping of a Name” AALL Spectrum, April 2014

    2014

    Ingrid Mattson
    Reference Librarian
    Ohio State University, Moritz Law Library
    Columbus, OH

    Linda-Jean Schneider
    Electronic Resources Manager
    Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP
    Philadelphia, PA

    “Negotiating and Complying with Electronic Database License Agreements” AALL Spectrum, February 2013

    2013

    Laurel E. Davis
    Legal Information Librarian, Lecturer in Law and Curator of Rare Books

    Chester Kozikowski
    Educational Technology Specialist

    Boston College Law Library
    Newton, MA

    “Rare Books & Technology: Collaborating Within the Library”

    2012

    Steven A. Lastres
    Director of Library and Knowledge Management
    Debevoise & Plimpton LLP
    New York, NY

    “Collection Development in the Age of the Virtual Law Firm Library” AALL Spectrum, June 2011

    2011

    Steven J. Melamut
    Information Technology Services Librarian
    University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Law Library
    Chapel Hill, NC

    “Freeing Creativity: Understanding the Creative Commons licenses” AALL Spectrum, April 2010

    2010

    James M. Donovan
    Faculty and Access Services Librarian
    University of Georgia School of Law Library
    Athens, GA

    “Back Away from the Survey Monkey! Optimize Research Results with an Honest Assessment of Methodology” AALL Spectrum, November 2009

  • 2000 - 2009

    2009

    Carl A. Yirka
    Professor and Library Director
    Julien & Virginia Cornell Library, Vermont Law School
    South Royalton, VT

    “Perspective: The Yirka Question and Yirka’s Answer: What Should Law Libraries Stop Doing in Order to Address Higher Priority Initiatives?” AALL Spectrum, July 2008

    2008

    Mark P. Bernstein
    Omer Poos Law Library
    Saint Louis University School of Law

    “One Size Fits All No More: The Impact of Law Specialization on Library Services” AALL Spectrum, March 2007

    2007

    Barbara A. Bintliff
    Joseph C. Hutcheson Professor in Law and Director of Research
    Tarlton Law Library
    The University of Texas at Austin
    Austin, TX

    Georgia Briscoe
    Associate Director and Head of Technical Services
    Boulder, CO

    University of Colorado at Boulder Law Library

    “The Ethics of Electronic Record Sharing”, AALL Spectrum, June 2006

    2006

    Leah Sandwell-Weiss
    Reference Librarian & Adjunct Assistant Professor of Legal Research
    University of Arizona College of Law
    Tucson, AZ

    “Putting Ideals into Action: AALL Washington Affairs Office is the Hub of Law Librarianship” AALL Spectrum, April 2005

    2005

    Leah Sandwell-Weiss
    Reference Librarian and Adjunct Assistant Professor of Legal Research
    University of Arizona College of Law
    Tucson, AZ

    “A Look at the USA PATRIOT Act Today” AALL Spectrum, July 2004

    2004

    Jean M. Holcomb
    Law Librarian and Director
    King County Law Library
    Seattle, WA

    “The Annual Report: An Overlooked Opportunity to Tell the Library’s Story” AALL Spectrum, June 2003

    2003

    Mary Rumsey
    Foreign, Comparative, and International Law Librarian
    University of Minnesota Law Library.

    “Libraries Confront the Challenges of Accommodating Disabled Users” AALL Spectrum, April 2002

    2002

    James S. Heller
    Director of the Law Library and Professor of Law College of William and Mary
    Williamsburg, VA

    “Collection Development and Weeding a la Versace: Fashioning a Policy for Your Library” AALL Spectrum, February 2002

    2001

    Ann Walsh Long

    “Get Your Library Ready for Distance Education” AALL Spectrum, May 2000

    2000

    Joanne Dugan

    “True Confessions of a Copyright Wimp” AALL Spectrum, February 2000