John Sessions Memorial Award Committee

Nominations are now being accepted for the 2012 John Sessions Memorial Award offered by RUSA. The deadline for nominations is December 15, 2011.

Established in 1980, the award is named in honor of John Sessions, former American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) co-chair of the AFL-CIO/ALA Joint Committee on Library Service to Labor Groups. The John Sessions Memorial Award recognizes a library or library system which has made a significant effort to work with the labor community and by doing so has brought recognition to the history and contribution of the labor movement to the development of the United States. Such efforts may include outreach projects to local labor unions; establishment of, or significant expansion of, special labor collections; initiation of programs of special interest to the labor community; or other library activities that serve the labor community.

The Russell Library, Middletown, Connecticut, was the 2011 recipient of the award for their successful Business & Career Programs. The Russell Library provides ten to twelve workshops annually that aim to help individuals find jobs or change their careers. Programs include job searching, interview coaching, computer classes, and stress reduction during job searching, among other topics. With this programming, the library has done significant outreach to union and community members by providing services of special interest to the labor community, as well as connecting with local organizations to publicize their services to job seekers. The award committee selected the library as this year’s recipient for these notable efforts that are vital in today’s economic climate and for the value the programs hold for the local labor community.
The 2012 award will presented at the RUSA Awards Reception during the ALA Annual Conference in Anaheim, California.

To nominate a library or library system, download and complete the nomination form (PDF format), and follow the submission instructions therein. Questions should be directed to the committee chair.