This document discusses the history of the Library Awards at Hudson Valley Community College for excellence in student research. It provides details about the establishment of the awards in 1989, the selection process, and notes that for about 20 years the librarians selected multiple winners with modest awards and recognition. Issues that arose over time with the awards are also outlined, such as the scheduling of the award ceremony conflicting with student obligations. The document then describes how in more recent years the awards program was restructured to provide one $150 award funded through the college foundation, with the winner recognized at convocation and commencement. Suggestions are also provided on how to address nominating students who have since graduated.
Dr. Joseph J. Bulmer Award for Excellence in Library Research
1. Dr. Joseph J. Bulmer • 1929 - 2006
President, 1979-1996
This work byValerie Lang Waldin, J.D., M.L.S., Associate Professor,
Library, HVCC is licensed under a CreativeCommons Attribution 4.0
International License.
2. Established in 1989
Selected annually by the Dwight Marvin
Library faculty
Recognizes a student’s outstanding
accomplishment in library-based research
3. the librarians selected multiple winners with modest
awards and recognition.
For about 20 years
4. May 5, 2009
You have been nominated to receive the Library Award for Excellence in Research at Hudson
Valley Community College.
Papers were submitted by Hudson Valley faculty, and were reviewed for proper documentation,
the use of appropriate sources, selection of a variety and number of resources, and evidence of
research skills and ingenuity.
You should be very proud of your distinguished work and are cordially invited to attend the
Library Awards Ceremony on Wednesday, May 13, 2009 in the Library Multipurpose Room at
2:00 PM. Feel free to bring a guest, parents, etc.! Winning papers will be announced at the
ceremony.
Please RSVP no later than Tuesday, May 12 at 4 PM to 629.7319.
On behalf of the Library Director, faculty and staff, thank you for contributing to the tradition
of excellence at Hudson Valley Community College. It is indeed an honor to be nominated for
this prestigious award.
Very truly yours,
Valerie A. Lang, Librarian and Assistant Professor
5. MLA, APA & Chicago Style
Winners, Honorable Mentions
6. Hudson Valley Community College
Dwight Marvin Library
Excellence in Student Research
Awards Ceremony
2008-2009
7. “Global Warming and Its Effects on Oceans”
Elizabeth Morelli
Hudson Valley Community College Dwight Marvin Library Excellence in
Student Research
MLA Honorable Mention
English Composition Sara Tedesco, Instructor
8. Beverly Stewart
“Mental Retardation”
Comments:
Submitted by: Nancy Cupolo
“Book Banning”
Syreeta Nurse
Hudson Valley Community College Dwight Marvin Library Excellence in
Student Research
MLAFORMATWINNER
English Composition
Assistant Professor Megheen Mulholland
10. Schedule of Award ceremony often conflicted
with work, exams and obligations
Students were not always clear on whether a
nomination meant winning.
Small award amount
11. ◦ The Library Director and Bulmer Award Committee
Chair met with The Foundation to determine if The
Foundation could support the library research
awards through one of its funds.
◦ Through our conversations with them, we
discovered that an existing fund was already set up
for this purpose and could support one award of
$150 annually.
12. One award of $150
Fund managed by The Foundation
The award-winner is recognized at Student Honors
Convocation, and also in the commencement
program.
Selected student’s name is engraved in a plaque for
display in library
13. Nominated by the faculty member for whom
the research paper was completed
Effective 2015-16, students may self
nominate!
◦ See criteria on next slide and also on Bulmer page.
14. 1. 1. Extensive bibliography with minimum of five sources and
various formats
2.
2. Evidence of initiative, persistence, and ingenuity in
identifying sources
3.
3. Evidence of critical thinking in evaluating sources for
credibility and appropriateness
4.
4. Correct citation format
5.
5. Free of plagiarism (papers may be reviewed using
turnitin.com or similar software)
15.
16. “I really appreciated the Library Awards because they were not the
Bulmer Award. They provided an opportunity for the hard working
students who use our library and the library staff to receive some
recognition for their hard work. Your award put smiles on a large
number of faces on campus. You knew the students who won the awards
because they were the same students that you had guided from fear of
the library to skilled researchers.
It is based upon this that I request that you consider bringing back the
Library Awards next year. It is not about the money for these students. It
is often about receiving a letter from librarians that the paper that they
had created had been chosen for consideration for a research award.
Each year for a few students it was the thrill of getting a certificate and a
few minutes in the spotlight while a person who understood what high
quality research was spoke about the outstanding work that they had
done.”
17. “Although, I am happy to see one student be recognized monetarily,
there are several students that will not be recognized. I appreciate
the offer of submitting this semester's papers for next year-
however, for some students who leave and come back- it loses some
excitement. In fact, some students use the nomination as to enhance
their transfer applications.
I have had students who have received an award in the past, or who
were just nominated... but are not likely candidates for the Bulmer
award. And the Marvin Library Research Award ceremony was their
only opportunity for recognition.”
19. The recipient of the Bulmer Award needs to
be identified before the end of each spring
semester to be included in Student Honors
Convocation and the commencement
program.
20. You are not alone! Simply hold on to that paper and submit it
the following year. Even if you are graduated, we will review
your paper and consider it along with all others. For more info.
contact Val Waldin, Librarian, at v.Waldin@hvcc.edu!
21. Contact Valerie Lang Waldin, v.waldin@hvcc.edu; 518.629.7319.
We welcome your papers!
