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Estelle Brodman Award for the Academic Health Sciences Librarian of the Year

The Estelle Brodman Award for the Academic Health Sciences Librarian of the Year recognizes an academic health sciences librarian at mid-career level who demonstrates significant achievement, the potential for leadership, and continuing excellence. This award honors Estelle Brodman’s exemplary career as educator, seminal thinker, able administrator, technological innovator, and skillful practitioner. The Brodman Award was established in 1986 and is sponsored by a bequest of Irwin H. Pizer. The award name was updated in 2021 to reflect growing shift in the field away from the term “medical librarian” to “health sciences librarian.” 

Criteria

  • The nominee must be a member of MLA.
  • The nominee must be in “mid-career” at the time of the award, defined as someone working at least 5 and not more than 16 years as an academic health sciences librarian; the nominee may not be a library director.
  • The nominee meets one of the following: 
    • must have worked as an academic health sciences librarian for each of the last 5 years immediately preceding the nomination, and must be an academic health sciences librarian at the time of the award.
    • most recent or current position must be as an academic health sciences librarian.
  • The nomination may be made for outstanding national or international contributions to academic health sciences librarianship as demonstrated by excellence in performance (leadership), publications, research, service, or a combination of these 4 elements.
  • The nominee must show potential for leadership and continuing excellence at mid-career in the area of academic health sciences librarianship.

Nominations

  • The online submission must be completed and supporting documentation uploaded. 
  • The nomination must contain at least the following elements:
    • a precise description of the nominee’s achievements, including impact and recognition of work;
    • a current curriculum vitae; and
    • any further information which may assist the jury in the evaluation of the nomination and the selection of the recipient.
  • Up to three letters of support may be included with the nomination.
  • Late and incomplete nominations will not be considered.

Up to three recipients may be chosen in one year, with a $1000 prize each. If there are no appropriate nominees, the association may elect not to present the award in a given year.

The recipient(s) will be notified in March before the annual conference at which the presentation will be made. The recipient(s) receives a cash award of $1000 after the annual conference. The recipient(s) assumes all costs of attending the conference and the ceremony at which the presentation is made. 

Ready to Submit a Nomination? 

  • Nominations for the 2024 award will open in August 2023.

Past Award Recipients

  • 2023: Emily J. Hurst and Elizabeth C. Whipple, AHIP
  • 2022: none awarded
  • 2021: Karen Gutzman
  • 2020: Joey Nicholson
  • 2019: Mark MacEachern
  • 2018: Holly K. Grossetta Nardini
  • 2017: Diana Delgado, AHIP
  • 2016: Blair Anton, AHIP
  • 2015: Melissa Rethlefsen
  • 2014: Julia Esparza
  • 2013: Gurpreet Rana
  • 2012: Bart Ragon
  • 2011: Nancy Tannery
  • 2010: Stephanie Fulton
  • 2009: none awarded
  • 2008: none awarded
  • 2007: Jan LaBeause
  • 2006: Linda Walton
  • 2005: Michele Tennant
  • 2004: Kathyrn Nesbit (posthumously)
  • 2003: Susan London
  • 2002: Judith F. Burnham
  • 2001: T. Scott Plutchak
  • 2000: Jeanette C. McCray
  • 1999: E. Diane Johnson
  • 1998: Anne Wood Humphries
  • 1997: M.J. Tooey
  • 1996: Gale G. Hannigan
  • 1995: David W. Boilard
  • 1993: Julia Sollenberger
  • 1992: Carolyn Anne Reid
  • 1991: Richard E. Lucier
  • 1990: Kathryn J. Hoffman
  • 1989: Gail A. Yokote
  • 1988: Audrey Powderly Newcomer

Have a question? Contact awards manager