Historical SLA Europe Awards

SLA Europe has offered a number of awards in the past, to recognise the achievements of information professionals at all stages of their careers,  support development opportunities, such as attending the SLA Annual Conference in the US, or highlighting an academic piece of research focused on the work being done in special libraries. Many of these awards would not have been possible without the grateful support from our sponsors and other SLA Divisions across the world.

Historical SLA Europe Awards

The SLA Europe Dissertation Prize

The Dissertation Prize was launched in 2007.  Prizes were awarded to Masters LIS students at four universities: Brighton, London Metropolitan, Loughborough and Sheffield universities. Staff at each university selected the best dissertation based on research on a subject pertinent to those working in special libraries. Winners received a certificate and £100 cheque.

Previous winners of this award:

2009 Winners:

  • Richard Alleman (London Metropolitan)
  • Jill Rutt (Sheffield)
  • Hardy Schwamm (Loughborough)

2008 Winners:

  • Betty Rabar (London Metropolitan)
  • Clare Sinclair (Sheffield)
  • Frances Warrell (Brighton)

2007 Winners:

  • Rachel Adams (Sheffield)
  • Victoria Louise Bird (Loughborough)
  • Ben Bose (Brighton)
  • Tanya O’Rourke (London Metropolitan)

Perfect Information and SLA Europe Professional Development Award

The PI and SLA Europe Professional Development Award was established in 2014 to assist SLA members in their professional development in training and presenting . The winner was given opportunity to deliver a workshop at the Perfect Information Conference and provided with a mentor to guide them through the experience.

Previous winners of this award:

  • 2014: Sarah Wolfenden

Sarah delivered a workshop based on the Customer Service Excellence Standard Project and its implementation at Brunel University Library.

SLA Europe Conference Award

The SLA Europe Conference Award provided opportunity for an outstanding information professional to attend the SLA Annual Conference in the US.  This award was aimed at all information professionals living or working in Europe,  with more than five years’ experience in the field, and who had not won an SLA Europe Early Careers Conference Award within the last five years.

The 2012 award was Co-sponsored by the Leadership and Management Division, and generously supported by Dow Jones. The Conference Award offered the successful applicant an expenses-paid trip to the conference, along with the opportunity after the conference to get involved with the work of SLA Europe and the Leadership and Management Division (LMD). The 2012 winner was Anneli Sarkanen.

SLA Europe Information Professional Award

Established in 1994, the SLA Europe Information Professional Award (formerly known as the European Special Librarian of the Year, or ESLY) recognised the outstanding achievement of a nominated candidate in the information profession living and working in Europe. The winner received an all expenses-paid trip to the annual SLA Conference, held in the US. Nominators of the successful candidate received a magnum of champagne.

Previous winners of this award:

  • 2011: Professor Hazel Hall (Scotland)
  • 2010: Dr Geoff Walton (England)
  • 2009: Gimena Campos Cervera (Italy)
  • 2008: Dennie Heye (Netherlands)
  • 2007: Janet Hopkins (Germany)
  • 2006: Marie-Madeleine Salmon (France)
  • 2005: Steve Borley (Scotland)
  • 2004: Janet Tomlinson (England)
  • 2003: Peter Clarke (England)
  • 2002: Margareta Nelke (Sweden)
  • 2001: Annabel Colley (England)
  • 2000: William Hann (England)
  • 1999: Kevin Miles (England)
  • 1998: Lise Lotte Lindskog (Sweden)
  • 1997: Tuula Salo (Finland)
  • 1996: Ruth Colyer (England)
  • 1995: Ian Thomson (England)
  • 1994: Michel Bauwens (Belgium)

Since 2012, this award has now been replaced by the Early Career Conference Award, which is given to one or more LIS professionals who are within the first five years of their career or are enrolled in a European graduate-level programme in the LIS field.