The Management Committee of the Health Science Information Consortium of Toronto (the Consortium) created the Langlands Award for Innovation in 2015 to recognize individuals or teams who have created or demonstrated improvements in health sciences library services or the profession through innovative thinking and approaches.
The award is named in honour of Sandra Langlands, who was instrumental in establishing the Consortium in 1990 and continued to actively support it throughout her career, until her retirement in 2014. At the time of her retirement Sandra was Director, Science Libraries & Director, Gerstein Science Information Centre University of Toronto, as well as Chair of the Board of Directors of the Consortium. The award is offered annually and will consist of a plaque or certificate to be presented at the annual general meeting of the Consortium.
Nominees must work in Consortium member institutions, and can be nominated by managers, supervisors, colleagues, clients, or can self-nominate. Nominees may be individuals or teams.
The innovation may include the implementation of new services, the creation of innovative tools, the application of technology in new settings, or creative approaches to policy development or service delivery.
Innovation: The award recognizes improvements in the development or delivery of programs or services that constitute a significant positive impact over existing methods. New methods or ideas in delivery of services or programs using new technologies will have particular merit. Innovations of any scale are welcome.
Impact: The award recognizes activities which show potential for long term impact on libraries or the profession. Impacts to the user community and enduring benefit to these users should be illustrated.
Utility: The award is intended to recognize a significant contribution to health sciences librarianship. The extent to which the innovation can be adopted by other libraries or adapted to other settings will be considered.
Only one submission per year will be accepted per individual or team of individuals.
Nominations must be received by September 30 each year, and submitted to the Executive Director of the Health Science Information Consortium of Toronto. Nominees are welcome to resubmit for consideration in the following year. The HSICT Management Committee will adjudicate the entries and select the recipient(s).