Select from dropdown to view other awards

OELMA provides two scholarships annually to worthy students pursuing study for positions as school library/media specialists:

• OELMA Scholarship ($1,000)
• J. Allen Oakum Award ($500.00). The J. Allen Oakum Scholarship was established in 1985 through the philanthropy of the late J.Allen Oakum, a Past President.

• is preparing for a career as a school library/media specialist;
• b. is a graduate student or a college junior or senior in a four-year program;
• is a legal resident of Ohio at the time of application;
• needs financial assistance

OELMA provides two scholarships annually to worthy students pursuing study for positions as school library/media specialists:

• the OELMA Scholarship ($1,000)
• the J. Allen Oakum Award ($500.00). The J. Allen Oakum Scholarship was established in 1985 through the philanthropy of the late J.Allen Oakum, a Past President.

• intends to prepare for a career as a school library/media specialist (k-12 or high education)
• is a college junior or senior in a four year program, or a graduate student
• is a legal resident of Ohio at the time of application
• needs financial assistance

The Administrator of the Year Award honors administrators who have made worthy contributions to the concepts of effective media programs and are continuing to stimulate interest in the planning, implementation, and support of media programs, resulting in improvement of curriculum and instruction. Any educational administrator - such as, superintendent, assistant superintendent, director, coordinator, or principal (excluding current library/media supervisor) - is eligible for this award. OELMA members must make nominations. A nominee must provide written permission for his/her consideration for the award.

The Award of Merit honors media specialists who have distinguished themselves in the educational library/media profession. Honorees have provided notable service and significant contributions to education, while actively participating in OELMA.

The Edgar Dale Award was created in honor of Edgar Dale, an Ohio educator who became nationally prominent as an authority on the use of audiovisual materials in education. This prestigious award honors media specialists who have demonstrated a commitment to the educational media profession through active involvement in both OELMA and AECT. The award is presented jointly with the other state affiliates of Region V at the AECT Annual Conference. (AECT purchases and awards a plaque to the recipient at its conference. Should the winner prefer to receive the award at the OELMA conference, arrangements will be made to have the plaque sent to OELMA. OELMA presents a certificate to the award recipient at the OELMA Annual Conference.)

The Innovative School Library Practices (ISLP) Award is sponsored by OELMA in collaboration with the Ohio Department of Education. The award was created in order to identify, promote, and share innovative school library practices, which support the development of exemplary school library programs.

Library Leadership Ohio (LLO) is a state sponsored Leadership Institute coordinated through the regional library systems. The LLO Scholarship is awarded contingent upon notification by the Library Leadership Ohio Institute (only an application to the LLO Institute through their web site is required.) LLO is only offered during calendar years in which the Institute is scheduled. The purpose of the scholarship is to offset the cost of registration and to encourage leadership among OELMA members. Traditionally a scholarship of $1,000 has been split between all OELMA applicants selected by the LLO selection committee.

The OELMA Presidential Award is given at the discretion of the President to an individual or group who has provided notable service and significant contributions to OELMA and school libraries.

The OELMA/Bound To Stay Bound Award provides $500 to two randomly chosen applicants to help defray expenses of attending the national American Association of School Librarians (AASL) Conference. The applicants must:

• be a member of AASL
• currently work in an elementary or middle (junior high) school library/media center
• not have attended a previous AASL Conference
• work in a district that has little or no travel funds available for school librarians

The OELMA/Follett Library Resources School Librarian of the Year Award honors a building-level school library media specialist practicing his/her commitment to ensure that students and staff are effective users of ideas and information, as well as exemplifying implementation of Information Power. This award is sponsored by Follett Library Resources, which provides a plaque for the winner. Nominees must be certified school library media specialists in Ohio and members of OELMA who demonstrate notable or outstanding performance in the areas of collaboration with classroom teachers, educational leadership, technology, and advocacy for school libraries. Although it is not necessary for the winner to be outstanding in all of these areas, the winner must be outstanding in one and progressing in the other areas. Nominees must have two years of continuous membership in OELMA to be considered for this award.

The ProQuest/SIRS Intellectual Freedom Award recognizes educators who have demonstrated support for the ALA tenets of intellectual freedom. After reviewing the nominations, the Intellectual Freedom/Copyright Division will forward its award recipient recommendation to the Scholarship & Awards Committee.