Preamble

The Student Research Paper Award recognizes research excellence in an unpublished paper written while completing a Masters of Library and Information Studies (MLIS) or equivalent degree. The annual award of $500 and one-year CAPAL membership is designed to encourage the practice of original academic research in the LIS field. In the case where a group is granted the award, the prize money will be split among all winners, and each individual will be given one year of free CAPAL membership.

Criteria for the Research Paper

• Must be based on an unpublished paper written and submitted during your time as a student in a Masters of Library and Information Studies (MLIS) program

• Should be relevant to academic libraries or academic librarianship

• Must be between 2000 and 5000 words in length (Excluding references)

• Should include original qualitative or quantitative research

• Group outputs or papers by multiple student authors are eligible for this award.

  • All authors must be students at the time of writing the paper

Please only submit one application and outline each author’s contribution in the reflective statement. If necessary, authors may edit the paper to meet the rubric and eligibility checklist.

Eligibility & Application Requirements

• *CAPAL membership is not required of applicants for this award*

• Proof of enrollment in a Canadian MLIS or equivalent program

• A copy of the paper being submitted for the award

• A reflective statement or audio/video recording of up to 500 words (3-5 minutes) commenting on:

  • The context in which the paper was written (e.g., class, assignment name, co-op placement, independent study)

  • what was learned during the research process

  • potential of the research for future publication

Award winners will be asked to supply a web-quality headshot and a short bio for communications and social media. They may also be invited to present their research at the annual CAPAL conference and/or to submit their paper to Canadian Journal of Academic Librarianship (CJAL).Submit your application to: capalawards@gmail.com

Files should be submitted in PDF format according to the following naming conventions:

1. YourLastName_YourFistName_Reflection

2. YourLastName_YourFirstName_StudentPaper

If you have any questions about your eligibility or the application process, please contact the CAPAL Awards Committee at capalawards@gmail.com.

Downloadable PDF

Preamble

The Early Career Researcher Award is designed to encourage excellence in research in early career professional academic librarians. This annual award of $500 and one-year CAPAL membership is presented to an individual or group having recently published or presented research that will make a significant impact on LIS and the broader community. In the case where a group is granted the award, the prize money will be split among all winners, and each individual will be given one year of free CAPAL membership.

Eligibility

• Applicants must be a current CAPAL member in good standing.

• This award is open to individuals who have graduated from a Master of Library and Information Science program or equivalent within the last seven years.

• The research must be related to library and information science.

• Group outputs or papers by multiple authors are eligible.

  • In a case where multiple contributors are applying for the award in the same submission, each of the applicants must be within seven years of graduation, and the cash award will be split equally amongst those applicants.

  • Multi-authored works that include co-authors who are not early career professionals are eligible, but the applicant(s) must be within seven years of graduation and have contributed a substantial amount to the research output, as articulated in the reflective statement.

Research Output

Submissions must be completed and disseminated research. The output may include the following (not exhaustive):

• Journal article (excluding book reviews, but including articles in student-led peer-reviewed journals)

• Book chapter

• Conference presentation

• Conference poster

• Open educational resource

Application Requirements

• A copy of the research output being nominated for the award

• Reflective statement commenting on…

  • the impact the research has had on their personal librarianship practice

  • the impact of the research on LIS research and/or practice or the impact on users/communities

  • For collaborative/multi-authored works only: the candidate must also clearly articulate their contributions to the research output. This should include what support they had (mentorship, grant funding, etc.)

  • Length of reflective statement:

    • For single authored works (up to 500 words)

    • For submissions with more than one applicant, an additional 200 words can be included per individual for the personal reflective statement.

• Applicant CV

  • 2-3 pages highlighting library work experience, qualifications, research interests, publications (if applicable)

Award winners will be asked to supply a web-quality headshot and a short bio for communications and social media.

Submit your application to: capalawards@gmail.com

Files should be submitted in PDF format according to the following naming conventions:

1. YourLastname_YourFirstname_ResearchOutput

2. YourLastName_YourFirstName_Reflection

3. YourLastName_YourFirstName_CV

If you have any questions about your eligibility or the application process, please contact the CAPAL

Awards Committee at capalawards@gmail.com.

**The Awards Committee will be prioritizing applications by individuals that have not yet won this award.

Downloadable PDF

Preamble

The Contributions to the Association Award of $500 and one-year CAPAL membership is designed to recognize an individual that has made a lasting and significant contribution to CAPAL and thereby enriched academic librarianship in Canada (defined below).

Eligibility

• Nominators and nominees must be current CAPAL members in good standing.

The Contributions to the Association award honours special achievement in one or more of the following:

• Actively serving on CAPAL committees, working groups, communities of practice, student groups, etc.

• Leadership within CAPAL such as chairing a committee or Community of Practice, or holding a Board position (Treasurer, Chair, etc.)

• Leadership or collaboration on projects, presentations, events, etc. that have either advanced the Association’s goals or made a lasting impact in the field of Canadian academic librarianship

• Any other inspiring and/or impactful CAPAL-related work

Nomination Requirements

• Both nominations and self-nominations are welcome.

• A statement / letter of rationale from the nominator, emphasising the impact the individual had on:

  • The association

  • The profession of academic librarianship

• Up to two letter(s) of support (Can be from non-CAPAL members)

• Curriculum Vitae (Can be submitted by nominee after initial nomination)

Award winners will be asked to supply a web-quality headshot and a short bio for communications and social media.

Submit your application to: capalawards@gmail.com

Files should be submitted in PDF format according to the following naming conventions:

1. CandidateLastName_FirstName_Nomination

2. CandidateLastName_FirstName_CV

3. CandidateLastName_FirstName_LetterofSupport_AuthorInitials

If you have any questions about your eligibility or the nomination process, please contact the CAPAL Awards Committee at capalawards@gmail.com.

*The Awards Committee will be prioritizing applications by individuals that have not yet won this award.

Downloadable PDF