NEWS For Immediate Release April 16, 2013

Contact: Delin Guerra

CHICAGO - The International Relations Round Table (IRRT) announces three recipients of the ALA Presidential Citations for Innovative International Library Projects for 2013. These awards recognize the following exemplary services.

• The AUN e-Library Project at the American University of Nigeria Library for transitioning toward a digital library collection that is more cost effective and increases the number of resources available to students and faculty, http://library.aun.edu.ng/;
• The eBooks on Demand by the European Network of Libraries for providing digital access to rare and obscure documents found in 32 libraries in 12 European countries and for creating the eBooks on Demand (EOD) search engine of 3.1 million items that includes a request option that allows participating libraries to request digitization, http://books2ebooks.eu/en;
•  The OSU Children’s Library Fund for building the Accra College of Education Community Library in Accra, Ghana, and for developing a sustainable funding model through a partnership with the Ghana Education Service (GES), http://www.osuchildrenslibraryfund.ca/about-oclf/libraries/.

The recipients were selected by a team of IRRT members in consultation with ALA President Maureen Sullivan.  Jeannette Pierce, chair of the selection committee, says that “each project represents library services that are innovative, sustainable, and valuable to the communities served.  It is a delight to recognize these projects and share them with the global library community.”  IRRT Chair Loriene Roy, adds that “recognition of these innovative projects illustrates IRRT’s mission to promote and share information about international librarianship.” Recipients will be recognized by Maureen Sullivan at the 2013 ALA Annual Conference in Chicago during the IRRT’s International Librarians Reception on Monday July 1.   

The ALA Presidential Citation for Innovative International Library Projects began as an ALA Presidential initiative of Dr. Loriene Roy, ALA President in 2007-2008. IRRT is a Round Table of the American Library Association with a mission to develop the interests of librarians in activities and problems in the field of international library relations. For more information about the Citations, including the nomination and selection process, please visit the ALA Presidential Citations for Innovative International Library Projects website.

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