Grants & Awards Committee

Members

Marin Dell, Chair
Iain Barksdale
Kristie Chamorro
Debbie Ginsberg
Leanna Simon
Shannon Kemen
Susan Boland
Dinah Minkoff (Board Liaison)

Charge

The Grants and Awards Committee is charged to publicize, review applications, and advise the Board on recipients of SIS grants and awards.

The Grants and Awards Committee is chaired by a member of the LIT-SIS.

Grants

Led by its chair, the committee:

  • is responsible for awarding grants to provide financial assistance to AALL/LIT-SIS member librarians who hold promise of future involvement in the law library profession, especially those who are directly involved in providing technology support of any kind within law libraries
  • updates and posts grant applications to LIT-SIS website
  • if necessary, identifies possible grant recipients by obtaining a list of new AALL members and their job descriptions from the CS Secretary/Treasurer

The chair:

  • in consultation with the committee, recommends grant winners; forwards names to LIT-SIS Chair for approval by Executive Board
  • upon Board approval, informs LIT-SIS Secretary/Treasurer
  • contacts grant winners by phone, followed by a written award letter; notifies them that they will be asked to contribute at least one post to the LIT-SIS blog
  • coordinates announcement of grant winners with the Blog Committee

Awards

Led by its chair, the committee:

  • is responsible for awarding the Hirsh Award, which is presented to individuals who have demonstrated exemplary service to LIT-SIS; the SIS encourages this committee to make this award on an annual basis, but is not obligated to do so
  • identifies worthy candidates by polling the Executive Board, reviewing contributions made to other LIT-SIS committees, and asking members for nominations

The chair:

  • by early March, submits a slate of candidates to LIT-SIS Chair for selection by Executive Board.
  • after the Board selects winner in late March, informs LIT-SIS Secretary/Treasurer and AALL Headquarters (for inclusion in AALL Grants & Awards brochure)
  • contacts award winner by phone, followed by a written award letter
  • works with the Blog Committee to coordinate announcement of award winners on LIT-SIS blog, listserv, etc.
  • works with the LIT-SIS Chair to coordinate recognition of the recipient

General Responsibilities

The committee:

  • works with the communications committee to make the Membership aware of grants and solicit award nominations as appropriate

The chair:

  • reports briefly on the committee’s activities at the LIT-SIS business meeting
  • submits a written report to the LIT-SIS Chair detailing the committee’s activities according to the deadline set by the Chair each year; sends a copy of the report to the Secretary/Treasurer
  • writes and/or updates documentation to pass on to the following Committee chair