This award is presented to an active or retired library administrator or manager (as defined by his or her institution and may include director, adult services supervisor or similar position with an M.L.S. or its equivalent, and/or the equivalent degree in Archives or Museum Studies. Membership in AzLA is not required. Criteria include significant accomplishments and leadership over the past three years in Arizona in several of the following areas:

• Promoting of libraries and library services in Arizona
• Legislative activity and support
• Mentoring-own institution, state-wide, or regionally
• Staff development: own institution, state-wide, or regionally
• Professional publications
• Contributions to the future of the profession
• Raising the profile of the profession
• Raising the profile of the library: own institution or libraries in Arizona or the MPLA region
• Significant participation in a special project relating to libraries or library services

The AzLA School Librarian of the Year Award is presented to an individual who serves as a model for implementing the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) National Standards. The nominee must be a certified teacher-librarian in Arizona who demonstrates notable or outstanding performance in the areas of collaboration with classroom teachers, educational leadership, technology and advocacy for school libraries. Membership in AzLA is not required. The winner will receive a 1-year free AzLA membership.

This award is presented to an active or retired layperson or librarian. Emphasis is placed on effectiveness regionally or state-wide, rather than limited to the institution where the individual worked. Current AzLA membership is required for this award. Criteria include significant accomplishments and leadership over the past ten years in Arizona in several of the following areas:

• Promoting of libraries and library services in Arizona
• Active support of AzLA
• Legislative activity and support
• Mentoring
• Staff development
• Professional publications
• Contributions to the future of librarianship and information science as a profession
• Raising the profile of work in libraries
• Raising the profile of library in Arizona
• Significant participation in a special project relating to libraries or library services

This award is presented to an individual currently working in libraries, with or without an M.L.S, who has professional responsibilities to the end user in such service areas as reference, programming, cataloging, bibliographic or database instruction, collection development, or a combination of these and other professional responsibilities. Service during the past one-to-three years should be considered. Membership in AzLA in not required. Emphasis will be placed on ehanced service, beyond the standard requirements of good library service. Criteria includes one or several of the following areas:

• Service or project effectiveness beyond own institution
• Potential impact or benefit to other libraries
• Benefit to local community
• Accomplishment as potential model for other libraries of similar size
• Nominee's investment of personal time
• Limitation of resources (staff, time, and funds)

Explanatory Note: Intended to give equal opportunity to people who provide service directly to patrons or who may have limited resources or clerical assistance and who serve primarily adults and college age students.

This award is open to presented to any person working in a library who shows exceptional promise as a leader in the field. The purpose of the award is to recognize individuals with strong leadership potential in order to encourage them to take on roles of increasing responsibility in library work. Membership in AzLA is not required. Criteria for the award include one or more of the following:

• Creation of innovative programs or services
• Creating a positive vision, communicating it to others, and inspiring and guiding others to acheive it
• Making exceptional use of local, state, or national library resources, including grants
• Actively participating in professional library organizations on a local, state, regional, or national level
• Showing commitment and belief in the vitality, flexibility and future of library service
• Having two full years of full-time library service in Arizona prior to nomination and no more than five years' work history

This award is given to an individual who has served as a model of the important role that paraprofessional plays in providing quality library service and who has exemplified the integral part that the paraprofessional performs as a library staff member. Membership in AzLA is not required. Nominees will be judged on the basis of:

• Demonstrated on-the-job excellence, as noted by their supervisor
• Support and enhancement of the services in the library where they work
• Evidence of interest in continuing education and other learning opportunities
• Service to AzLA and/or other library organizations
• Participation in other noteworthy community activities will also be considered

The Little Chapel of All Nations, Tucson, provides a monetary award to the library, librarian, or library related group or person that provides exemplary library outreach services to unserved, underserved, or minority populations. Membership in AzLA is not required.

This award is given to an Arizona decision-maker exhibiting significant support for librarians. This person is an administrator (city, county, academic, or school) or an elected/appointed official (City Council, Board of Regents, Board of Supervisors, Board of Education, or School Board) who has made a difference for libraries. This person's demonstrated support may be a critical issue (intellectual freedom, fiscal advocacy, development, or a new program) or continuous support over a period of time.

The Outstanding Youth Services Librarian Award is given to an individual who serves as a model for the important role Youth Services plays in public libraries. Nominee's may be Children's, Young Adult, or Youth Services libraians, or other librarians who serve youth in those capacities, in any Arizona public library. Nominees must demonstrate notable and outstanding performance in producing, developing, and promoting programs, services, collections, and reading activities for children and/or teenagers in their libraries and communities. Membership in AzLA is not required. The award is a plaque and a 1-year free AzLA membership.

Given to a library board or equivalent management/advocacy group under whose guidance a library or group of libraries has been substantially improved. The board's policies, its success in promoting library services, and its constituency, and its relationship to the community are taken into consideration.

This award is open to any individual or group serving in a volunteer capacity in any library. Nominees should exemplify exceptional library service. Emphasis will be placed on activities that go beyond the standard requirements of good library service and the nominee's investment of personal time.

This award is given to support students enrolled in the University of Arizona's School of Information Resources and Library Science M.A. graduate program. Criteria for the award include one or more of the following:

• Arizona resident
• Current AzLA member
• Student in good standing, enrolled or admitted to the iSchool M.A. program for a minimum of six (6) credit hours in a semester

Recipient receives a plaque from AzLA, and a monetary award ($2,000) from the Louise A. Stephens Scholarship Fund.