NJAL Awards
Distinguished Service Award
NJAL Distinguished Service Award is given to a librarian who has had distinguished service or achievement within the New Jersey academic community. This award is not limited to persons who have received national recognition. It is intended to honor any person who, by his or her outstanding contributions, has directly enriched librarianship in higher education in New Jersey.
Research Award
NJAL Research Award recognizes excellence in the research efforts of New Jersey librarians. All types of research published are considered, including books, journal articles, bibliographies, multimedia projects, online publications or other scholarship. A New Jersey librarian practicing or professionally active in the New Jersey library community must be the author or co-author.
Technical Services Award
NJAL Technical Services Award honors a librarian or team of librarians who have worked in collections and technical services including but not limited to: acquisitions, cataloging, metadata, collection management, preservation, electronic and continuing resources and has made significant contributions to enhance and advance technical services librarianship.
Technology Innovation Award
Offered through 2025
The Technology Innovation Award honors a librarian or group of librarians for innovative use and application of technology in a New Jersey academic library, including creative use of existing technologies. The award may be given either in recognition of a specific project, or for an ongoing delivery of innovative technology applications. Particular consideration will be given to those that have had a transformative impact on their institution and can be used by other academic institutions. The purpose of the award is to recognize distinguished leadership in developing new technologies for academic libraries.
Award Winners
Distinguished Service Award
Alyssa M. Valenti Electronic Resources & Web Services Librarian, Raritan Valley Community College
Research
Zara Wilkinson Rutgers University-Camden
Wilkinson, Z. T. (2024). The prevalence of textbook affordability and OER initiatives at ARL libraries. The Journal of Academic Librarianship, 50(4), 102884. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acalib.2024.102884
Technical Services
Dr. Edith Baker State Library of NJ
Technology Innovation
Megan Dempsey Raritan Valley Community College
Business Law I Interactive OER Textbook in Pressbooks
Distinguished Service
Marilyn Ochoa Library Services Director, Middlesex College
Research
Samantha Kannegiser Rutgers University-Camden & Julie Hunter
Kannegiser, S., & Hunter, J. (2024). Sexual harassment on chat reference: Prevalence, impact, and the role of organizations. College & Research Libraries, 85(2), 267–287. https://doi.org/10.5860/crl.85.2.267
Technical Services
Mary Beth Weber Rutgers University
Distinguished Service
Kate Skrebutenas Princeton Theological Seminary
Research
Valenza, J. K., Dalal, H., Mohamad, G., Boyer, B., Berg, C., Charles, L. H., Bushby, R., Dempsey, M., Dalrymple, J., & Dziedzic-Elliott, E. (2022). “First years' information literacy backpacks: What's already packed or not packed?” The Journal of Academic Librarianship, 48(4), 102566. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acalib.2022.102566
Technical Services
Mei Ling Chow Montclair State University
Technology Innovation
Joyce DeStasio Stockton University
Sweat Virtual Scavenger Hunt
Maya Gervits and team New Jersey Institute of Technology
Mobile Apps for the Digital Archive of Newark Architecture (DANA)
Distinguished Service
Bonnie Lafazan Campus Library Director, Berkeley College
Research
Leslin Charles Rutgers University
Charles, L., & DeFabiis, W. (May 2021). Closing the transactional distance in an online graduate course through the practice of embedded librarianship. College and Research Libraries, 82(3), 370–388. https://doi.org/10.5860/crl.82.3.370
Technical Services
Sharon Whitfield Rider University
Distinguished Service
Christina Connor Ramapo College of NJ
Research
Catherine Baird Montclair State University
Baird, C., & Soares, T. (2020). Faculty perceptions of students’ IL learning in first-year writing. portal: Libraries & the Academy, 20(3), 509–532. https://doi.org/10.1353/pla.2020.0028
Technical Services
Jian Wang Stockton University
Technology Innovation
Colin Bitter The College of New Jersey
OCLC Data Sync Reports with Python
Gary Marks William Paterson University
Virtual Scavenger Hunt Using ArcGIS
Distinguished Service
Heather A. Dalal Associate Professor - Librarian, Rider University
Research
Sharon Whitfield Rider University
Whitfield, S., & Johnson, A. T. (2019). Women technology librarians as good citizens. The Journal of Academic Librarianship, 45(5), 102058. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acalib.2019.102058