Daniel T. Richards Prize

The Daniel T. Richards Prize was initially established in 1998 by the Collection Development Section of MLA to honor Daniel’s memory and many contributions to the profession. The award was elevated to a national-level prize in 2022. It recognizes an individual who has authored a work related to collection development in the health sciences. 

Eligibility

• The author of the work submitted for the Daniel T. Richards Prize must be a member of the Medical Library Association. (Membership dates may be confidentially confirmed by MLA Member Services.)
• The work may be in any format: print, audiovisual, electronic, online, etc. 
• The submitted work must be related to collection development in the health sciences.  
• The work must be widely available to the library community and written or produced within the previous 24 months.  
• If a work is nominated in its first year of eligibility but is not awarded the prize, it may be nominated again in its second year of eligibility.  
• Application form, including all uploaded documents, must be completed no later than October 15.

Nominations

The authored work will be judged according to the following: 

• Novelty and Quality: Does the item further medical librarianship by presenting new or innovative ideas in the area of collection development? Examples may include: the contribution of a new or comprehensive report, a solution to a common collection development issue, or a new methodology or tool for collection analysis and development. (40%) 
• Significance and Potential Impact: Does the item show immediate or long-range potential and implications in the field of medical librarianship to change practice and advance the field? Can it be applied to a variety of collection development situations or settings? (40%) 
• Expression of Content: Is the work clearly and effectively presented? Is the style consistent? Is the work well-communicated and comprehensible? (20%) 

Recipient

• The  prize recipient will be notified in March and will receive a cash award of $250 in June, after the annual conference.
• The recipient will be asked to share a photo and video for the virtual awards ceremony held in April. 
• If there are no appropriate candidates, the association may elect not to present the award in a given year.

Ready to Submit?

• The award application process is now closed.
• Applicants and award recipients will be notified in March 2024 with the results.
• The virtual awards ceremony will be held in April 2024.
• Nominations for the 2025 award will open in August 2024.

Past Recipients

• 2024: Building Health Sciences Library Collections: A Handbook Edited by, Megan Besaw Inman and Marlena Rose, AHIP
• 2023: none awarded

Have a question? Contact MLA.