San José State University School of Information and Gwinnett County Public Library are co-sponsoring the Innovative Librarians Award to recognize library science graduate students who put forward new ideas that improve libraries and library services.

The San​ ​José​ ​State University​ ​School​ ​of​ ​Information has joined Gwinnett​ ​County​ ​Public​ ​Library​​ ​to ​co-sponsor​ ​​the​ ​​Innovative​ ​Librarians​ ​Award that recognizes​ ​library science​ ​graduate​ ​students​ ​who​ ​put​ ​forward​ ​new​ ​ideas​ ​that​ ​improve​ ​libraries​ ​and​ ​library​ ​services. 

“We​ ​are​ ​delighted​ ​to​ ​partner​ ​with​ ​Gwinnett​ ​County​ ​Public​ ​Library​ ​on​ ​this​ ​wonderful​ ​opportunity​ ​for​ ​MLIS students​ ​and​ ​recent​ ​graduates​ ​to​ ​showcase​ ​their​ ​talents​ ​and​ ​get​ ​recognized​ ​for​ ​their​ ​ingenuity​ ​so​ ​early in​ ​their​ ​careers,”​ ​said​ ​Dr.​ ​Sandra​ ​Hirsh,​ ​professor​ ​and​ ​director​ ​at​ ​the​ ​SJSU​ ​School​ ​of​ ​Information.​ ​“This award​ ​celebrates​ ​new​ ​thinking​ ​and​ ​fresh​ ​perspectives​ ​that​ ​will​ ​positively​ ​impact​ ​our​ ​communities.”

Established by GCPL, the Innovative Librarians Award is a great way “to​ ​discover​ ​new​ ​and​ ​innovative​ ​ideas” and give “students​ ​and​ ​recently​ ​graduated​ ​librarians​ ​an​ ​opportunity​ ​to​ ​make​ ​a​ ​name​ ​for​ ​themselves​ ​in​ ​the​ ​greater profession,” said Michael​ ​Casey,​ ​GCPL​ ​director​ ​of​ ​Customer Experience. “When​ ​hiring​ ​professional​ ​librarians,​ ​we’re​ ​always​ ​looking​ ​for​ ​those​ ​who​ ​are​ ​willing​ ​to​ ​put​ ​forth​ ​their innovative​ ​ideas​ ​and​ ​be​ ​agents​ ​of​ ​change.”​ ​

Students​ ​who​ ​are​ ​currently​ ​enrolled​ ​and​ ​pursuing​ ​a​ ​graduate​ ​degree​ ​in​ ​Library Science,​ ​or​ ​who​ ​have​ ​graduated​ ​with​ ​an​ ​MLS​ ​or​ ​MLIS​ ​within​ ​the​ ​past​ ​two​ ​years, can apply for the award. Five finalists will be selected​ ​by​ ​public​ ​librarians​ ​with​ ​years​ ​of​ ​frontline,​ ​managerial,​ ​and​ ​administrative experience. One​ ​entrant​ ​will​ ​be​ ​selected​ ​from the​ ​five​ ​finalists​ ​to​ ​receive​ ​a​ ​$1,000​ ​cash​ ​prize. The application deadline is ​Jan. 31, 2018.​ ​​For​ ​more​ ​information about the award and to submit an application,​ ​visit​ ​​innovativelibrarians.com​. 

About​ ​Gwinnett​ ​County​ ​Public​ ​Library

The​ ​award-winning​ ​​Gwinnett​ ​County​ ​Public​ ​Library​​ ​system​ ​was​ ​formed​ ​in​ ​1996​ ​after​ ​the​ ​dissolution​ ​of the​ ​Gwinnett-Forsyth​ ​Regional​ ​Library.​ ​For​ ​more​ ​than​ ​20​ ​years,​ ​GCPL​ ​has​ ​provided​ ​resources​ ​and services​ ​that​ ​enrich​ ​and​ ​inspire​ ​our​ ​community.​ ​The​ ​Library​ ​has​ ​15​ ​branches​ ​that​ ​offer​ ​free​ ​access​ ​to computers​ ​and​ ​Wi-Fi,​ ​classes,​ ​materials,​ ​and​ ​programming​ ​for​ ​people​ ​of​ ​all​ ​ages.​ ​In​ ​2016,​ ​more​ ​than​ ​5 million​ ​items​ ​were​ ​checked​ ​out​ ​at​ ​GCPL,​ ​more​ ​than​ ​any​ ​other​ ​library​ ​system​ ​in​ ​Georgia.​ ​In​ ​2017,​ ​GCPL was​ ​recognized​ ​as​ ​a​ ​Top​ ​Workplace​ ​by​ ​the​ ​Atlanta-Journal​ ​Constitution.​ ​For​ ​more​ ​information​ ​about Gwinnett​ ​County​ ​Public​ ​Library​ ​programs​ ​and​ ​services,​ ​visit​ ​​gwinnettpl.org​.

 About​ ​SJSU​ ​School​ ​of​ ​Information 

Based​ ​in​ ​California’s​ ​world-renowned​ ​Silicon​ ​Valley,​ ​the​ ​​San​ ​José​ ​State​ ​University​ ​School​ ​of Information​​ ​is​ ​a​ ​recognized​ ​leader​ ​in​ ​online​ ​education​ ​and​ ​offers​ ​entirely​ ​online​ ​master’s​ ​degree​ ​and certificate​ ​programs.​ ​Graduates​ ​work​ ​worldwide​ ​in​ ​diverse​ ​career​ ​environments,​ ​such​ ​as​ ​​user experience​ ​design,​ ​digital​ ​asset​ ​management,​ ​information​ ​architecture,​ ​electronic​ ​records management,​ ​information​ ​governance,​ ​digital​ ​preservation,​ ​and​ ​librarianship.