Public Affairs Office
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Washington DC 20540-1610
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July 29, 1999
Contact: John Sayers, Public Affairs (202) 707-9216
Robin Hatziyannis, FLICC Publications and Education (202) 707-4800

Awards Program Recognizes Outstanding Federal Libraries, Librarians And Library Technicians

To honor the many innovative ways federal libraries, librarians and library technicians are fulfilling the information demands of government, business, research, scholarly communities and the American public, the Federal Library and Information Center Committee (FLICC) announces its second annual series of national awards for federal librarianship.

The Federal Library and Information Center Committee (FLICC) fosters excellence in federal library and information services through interagency cooperation and provides guidance and direction for the Federal Library and Information Network (FEDLINK). Created in 1965 and headquartered at the Library of Congress, FLICC, also makes recommendations on federal library and information policies, programs and procedures to federal agencies and to others concerned with libraries and information centers.

The 1999 award winners will be honored for their contributions to federal library information service at the annual FLICC Forum on Federal Information Policies in Washington, D.C., in March 2000. To further recognize these outstanding individuals and programs, a plaque engraved with their names and the names of previous and subsequent winners will be on permanent display in the FLICC offices at the Library of Congress.

Nominations are being accepted for these awards:

Federal Library/Information Center of the Year. This award commends the library or information center's outstanding, innovative and sustained achievements during fiscal year 1999 in fulfilling its organization's mission, fostering innovation in its services and meeting the needs of its users. All federal libraries and information centers are eligible. Intense competition in 1998 resulted in a tie for this award between the National Institutes of Health Library and the Defense Technical Information Center (DTIC).

Federal Librarian of the Year. This award honors professional achievements during fiscal year 1999 in the advancement of library and information sciences, the promotion and development of services in support of the agency's mission and demonstrated professionalism as described in Competencies for Special Librarians in the 21st Century (developed by the Special Libraries Association: http://www.sla.org/professional/comp.html.) The nominee must be a federal employee and a practicing librarian in a federal library or information center. Joan Buntzen, Librarian of the Navy, was named as the 1998 Federal Librarian of the Year.

Federal Library Technician of the Year. This award recognizes the achievements of a federal library technician during fiscal year 1999 for service excellence in support of the library or information center's mission, exceptional technical competency and flexibility in adapting work methods and dealing with change. The nominee must be a federal employee and a practicing paraprofessional or library technician in a federal library or information center. In 1998, the Federal Library Technician of the Year was Connie Clarkston, at the David Grant Medical Library, Travis Air Force Base.

For more information or to request a nomination packet, visit the FLICC Web site (http://www.loc.gov/flicc/wg/wg-award.html) or contact FLICC by phone (202-707-4800), fax (202-707-4818), email (flicc@loc.gov), or send mail to FLICC, c/o Library of Congress, Washington, DC 20540-4930. The nomination packet includes the nomination form, selection criteria and list of required supporting materials. All completed nomination applications must be postmarked no later than November 15, 1999.

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PR 99-100
7/29/99
ISSN 0731-3527