by Susie P. Gonzalez

Trinity University’s Elizabeth Huth Coates Library has been selected to receive the 2007 Excellence in Academic Libraries Award from the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL). Sponsored by ACRL and Blackwell’s Book Services, the award recognizes the staff of a college library for programs that deliver exemplary services and resources to further the educational mission of the institution. Libraries at a university and community college also were recognized.

“An Excellence in Academic Libraries Award is a national tribute to a library and its staff for the outstanding services, programs, and leadership they provide to their students, administrators, faculty, and community,” said Mary Ellen K. Davis, ACRL executive director based in Chicago.

The Coates Library, winner in the category recognizing college collections, impressed the selection committee with its wide-ranging and innovative services for both students and faculty. “Using the guiding philosophy of experimenting with ‘all things new,’ staff created user centric virtual and physical learning spaces as well as research spaces,” said Frances Maloy, chair of the 2007 Excellence in Academic Libraries Selection Committee and division leader of Access Services at Emory University. 

Maloy also lauded Trinity’s library for its fully integrated information literacy program that engages library users at all levels beginning with the first-year seminar to the “Focus on Faculty” workshop series.  The library’s Web site incorporates chat reference, a downloadable library toolbar, federated searching, and a comprehensive set of digital resources, she noted.

“The Coates Library also boasts a GIS librarian who leads the campus development of GIS research and teaching. Through the establishment of their own institutional repository called Digital Commons, they led the development of a consortial repository called the Liberal Arts Scholarly Repository. The library staff demonstrates that they know their community and extend themselves and library services to be wherever students and faculty are,” Maloy said.

Diane J. Graves, University librarian at Trinity, said she and her staff are honored to receive the award. “I am fortunate to have not only an amazing team of colleagues to work with, but an administration that supports the library when we want to try something innovative.  Even more, Trinity's faculty and students have been a source of inspiration as they provide suggestions and feedback about what they want the library to do and be.”

Other recipients of this year’s ACRL awards are the Hostos Community College/CUNY Library, Bronx, N.Y., in the community college category; and the Georgia Institute of Technology Library and Information Center, Atlanta, in the university category.

Each winning library will receive $3,000 and a plaque, to be presented at an award ceremony held on each recipient’s campus. The winners also will receive special recognition at the ACRL President’s Program during the American Library Association Annual Conference on Monday, June 25, in Washington D.C.

ACRL is a division of the American Library Association, representing 13,000 academic and research librarians and interested individuals. ACRL is the only individual membership organization in North America that develops programs, products, and services to meet the unique needs of academic and research librarians.  Its initiatives enable the higher education community to understand the role that academic libraries play in the teaching, learning, and research environments.

© 2007 Trinity University