H.W. Wilson Congratulates the 2006 John Cotton Dana Library Public Relations Award Winners!
Six Winning Entries Enjoy Recognition, Cash Prize, for 60th Anniversary Award
 

New York, New York, February 17, 2006
The H.W. Wilson Company, sponsor of the John Cotton Dana Library Public Relations Award since 1946, congratulates the six innovative libraries that have won in the contest's 60th anniversary year.

"When Wilson first instituted the award in 1946, no one could have foreseen all the innovative approaches in public relations for libraries," commented Harold Regan, President and CEO of The H.W. Wilson Company. "One thing, however, remains constant: the ingenuity that JCD winners show in meeting their challenges. We're proud to have fostered this spirit over the past six decades, and hope to continue to celebrate new innovation for 60 years more."

The John Cotton Dana Award is one of the most coveted accolades among U.S. libraries, an honor that cuts across boundaries of library size and type. Named for John Cotton Dana (1856-1929), a librarian who began his career in Denver in 1889 (coincidentally, the founding year of Morris & Wilson, the bookselling business that would eventually become the H.W.Wilson Company) the JCD award celebrates Dana's vision of the library as a beacon for the building of community, through public affairs programs that strengthen the bond between libraries and the citizenry.

Winning entries for the 2006 John Cotton Dana Award will be on display at the John Cotton Dana Library Public Relations Award booth in the exhibit area during the 2006 ALA Annual Conference, June 22-28, in New Orleans. Conference participants will also be able to view the winners Sunday, June 25, from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. at the "Best of Show/Swap and Shop" program sponsored by the Library Administration and Management Association (LAMA, a division of ALA). Award-winners receive a $3,000 development grant from The H.W. Wilson Foundation.

The 60th anniversary JCD award will be presented to:
 

Charleston County Public Library (Charleston, S.C.), for its innovative project "Remembering the Cooper River Bridges," an aggressive public relations effort with local media partnerships, which dramatically increased the public's awareness of the significance of Charleston's bridges, and raised the library's public profile with nearly $800,000 in free news coverage.

The James B. Duke Library (Furman University, Greenville, S.C.), for "ICU: Life in the Library" and "Year of the Library," a two-phase building renovation and expansion campaign. Staff members injected a humorous medical theme to ease stress during the construction phase, which was followed by a yearlong celebration of the library and its new building.

The Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County (Cincinnati), for a dynamic and comprehensive library card sign-up campaign. In partnership with the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden, the campaign used a fun and appealing wildlife theme to reach and motivate students to sign up for library cards.

Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County (Charlotte, N.C.), for "Bringing the Story to Life," a campaign to celebrate the opening of ImaginOn, an innovative new space that combines a library and children's theater.

Calgary Public Library (Calgary, Alberta, Canada), for their innovative and unique program "The Great Alberta Reading Challenge." Calgary Public Library invited all libraries across the province to join in a friendly competition with prizes for the highest participation.

Loudoun County Public Library (Leesburg, Va.), for their program "Hanging Out Rocks!", a campaign that responded to the needs of teens in their growing county by giving them a place that they could call their own. Teen participation was key to moving the campaign forward and led to additional resources granted for a popular after-hours teen center at the library.

Entries are welcome for the 2007 competition. The contest is open to all libraries, agencies and associations that promote library service. The deadline for entries is December 8, 2006. Visit www.hwwilson.com/jcdawards for more information.