The Columbia College Chicago Library has won the college category of the 2017 ACRL Excellence in Academic Libraries Award which recognizes the accomplishments of librarians and other library staff as they come together as members of a team to support the mission of their institution. ACRL (Association of College and Research Libraries) is a division of the American Library Association which represents and provides support in developing programs, products and services to help academic and research librarians learn, innovate and lead within the academic community. The award is sponsored by ACRL and GOBI Library Solutions from EBSCO.

“Columbia’s Library was chosen for its creative ways of engaging with the campus community.”

“Columbia College Chicago Library is a very different kind of college library,” noted Karen A.Williams, chair of the 2017 Excellence in Academic Libraries Committee. “It is reflective of student culture, and creativity, experimentation, and innovative thinking are paramount.”

“We also appreciated that all of their programming encourages conversation and interaction among its diverse, vibrant population,” Williams added. “It is a creative and intellectual center for students, faculty, and the broader community alike.”

A committee of five library staff members participated in writing the 2017 application, garnering support not only from library colleagues, but also library student staff and Columbia faculty and administrators. They are Kristy Bowen, Joy Thornton, Jen Sauzer (Access Services), Kim Hale (Community Engagement and Special Initiatives) and Library Dean, Jan Chindlund. Student artist contributors are A.Wong and Xzavier Weed.

“I cannot tell you how thrilled I am to learn of this award honoring our innovative and dedicated staff members’ good work and the support of our college,” said Jan Chindlund, library dean at Columbia College Chicago. “Our work has evolved over the years; we stand on the shoulders of all who have worked here before to create services, develop collections, engage with our community, and maximize resources. Thank you for this recognition.”