Graduate students who are currently enrolled in a Master of Library and Information Science degree program accredited by the American Library Association, or have graduated within the past two years, are encouraged to apply for the 2019 Innovative Librarians Award.

Co-sponsored by the San José State University School of Information and Gwinnett County Public Library, the award recognizes library science graduate students who put forward original ideas that advance libraries and library services.

“Whether large or small, these ideas have the ability to change the way people experience libraries. Nominations are judged by public librarians with years of frontline, managerial, and administrative experience,” according to the Gwinnett County Public Library website.

The 2018 Innovative Librarians Award went to SJSU School of Information student Eké Williams in recognition of his Documentary Photography Bootcamp project that was developed in collaboration with the Brooklyn Public Library and Brooklyn Information Culture Arts to address “youth disconnection.”

Williams said his career was re-invigorated by the award win, and he received recognition and support from colleagues, family and friends. He also presented a poster at the American Library Association’s conference in June 2018 where he had the opportunity meet peers from all over the country who showed genuine interest in the DPB project.

“DPB is special to me. I had a vision and with the help of others, I brought it to life. Since then, there have been many requests for me to replicate the program at my library. We have already started the replication process, which will create a spinoff of the program in up to four new communities starting in early 2019,” he said.

“My message to 2019’s Innovative Librarian Award applicants is to never stop thinking,” Williams advised.

Five finalists will be selected from all submitted applications for the 2019 Innovative Librarians Award. The selected proposals will be published on the Gwinnett County Public Library website, and the five finalists may be interviewed for a podcast or web conference. One finalist will receive a $1,000 cash prize.

The deadline to submit proposals is January 31, 2019. For more information, visit the Innovative Librarians Award web page.

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​.