The Division has a long history of recognizing exceptional achievement amongst our members. Descriptions of all Business & Finance Division awards and the B&F Board Member responsible for the awards are listed below. Click here for a list of previous recipients.


B&F Award for Outstanding Achievement in Business Librarianship
Sponsored by BNA, Inc.
Contact: Hal Kirkwood
This award recognizes a Division member, with a gift of $2,000, who has made an outstanding contribution to the field of business and finance librarianship and information science. It is intended to honor an individual for a specific achievement made within a discreet period of time rather than focusing on an individual's full career.

Awarded annually to a member of the Business and Finance Division, the achievement may encompass any area of professional endeavor including, but not limited to, exemplary management, innovative product of service development, research, creative applications of technology, teaching, publishing, leadership in the field, and the dissemination of knowledge to users.

Now, generously sponsored by The Bureau of National Affairs (BNA), the B&F Award for Outstanding Achievement originated in 1984. During 1984-1986, the focus was on outstanding achievement in the use of technology. Previous sponsors of this award were Disclosure, Primark, and Thomson.

B&F Distinguished Member Award
Contact: Hal Kirkwood
Since 1985 SLA's Business & Finance Division has presented its Distinguished Member Award to an outstanding member who has worked in the profession for more than 25 years. This award is intended to honor individuals who have made exemplary contributions to the field of business librarianship throughout the course of their career. Recognition includes a gift of $1,000.

Centers of Excellence (additional information)
Contacts: Leslie Reynolds and Tom Marini
The Centers of Excellence Awards were created in 2001 by the chair of the Business & Finance Division, Stephen Kochoff. The purpose of the COE Awards is to recognize excellence and quality in libraries and information centers with in the Business & Finance Division. Modeled after the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Awards the B&F COE Awards strive to recognize the very best in library and information practices.

The goal of the Centers of Excellence Awards is to recognize this excellence but to also bring it out into the public eye so that others may learn from it and to benchmark themselves against these truly excellent organizations.

International Travel Award
Contact: Robert Clarke
This award is offered to an information professional from a developing country to help cover expenses at the annual SLA conference.

2008 International Travel Award Application  

B&F/SLA Europe Student Award
These awards will be offered to current European library and information science students to attend, for the first time, an SLA conference.

In 2008 SLA Europe will be offering two Awards jointly with the Business & Finance (B&F) Division of SLA. Each Award will cover the costs of attending the 2008 SLA Annual Conference, including Conference registration, hotel lodging, economy return airfare to Seattle and other related costs (e.g., food, incidental expenses). The Awards will be formally acknowledged in Seattle at the Division’s Award Ceremonies.

Applications are closed

2008 SLA Europe Student Award Announcement

SLA Europe Website Awards Page

 Professional & Student Stipends
Contact: Awilda Reyes

The Special Libraries Association Business & Finance Division is offering professional grant awards and student grant awards and student stipend awards to help cover expenses at the 2008 SLA Annual Conference in Seattle, WA, June 15-18, 2008. The Division will award student stipends and professional grants for a total of up to six $1,200 awards. The conference theme is "2008 – Breaking Rules, Building Bridges ®."

2008 Professional Grant Award Announcement

2008 Student Stipend Award Announcement 

2008 Professional Grant Application

Achievement in Academic Business Librarianship Award
Contact: Karen MacDonald
A new award beginning in 2008. Administered through the College & University Business Librarians Section of the division, the intent of this award is to recognize the accomplishments of librarians who are new to the field of academic business librarianship. Candidates for this award will be limited to librarians with a minimum of three full years in an academic library position but no more than seven years. Nominees must submit evidence of exemplary librarianship which can include published journal articles, books, conference presentations, excellence in teaching, online tutorials or innovative services at their institution.

Recipients will receive a framed certificate and a monetary award. Nominations and applications for the first Business & Finance Division Achievement in Academic Business Librarianship Award must be submitted to Karen MacDonald, libkim@langate.gsu.edu, Chair of College & University Business Libraries Section no later than March 31, 2008. For more information go to: http://www.slabf.org/cubl_section.html

Page last updated: 3/12/08

Copyright © 2006 SLA Business & Finance Division All rights reserved.