ELIGIBILITYStrategic library communication campaigns may be submitted by any library, Friends group, consulting agency or service pro-vider. The only exclusions are institutions represented by John Cotton Dana Award Committee members, John Cotton Dana Award Committee members from the previous year, organiza-tional units of the American Library Association, EBSCO Publishing and the H.W. Wilson Foundation.

2012 entries must be completed during one of the following time frames:• Any segment of the calendar year 2011 (January - December)• 2010-2011 Academic year (Fall 2010 - Spring 2011)• Long-term project completed in 2011

ENTRY DESCRIPTIONEach entry must include:1. An official Application Form PDF2. A concise descriptive summary of the campaign (100 words

or less)3. A narrative summarizing the campaign’s Needs Assess-

ment Planning, Implementation & Creativity, and Evalu-ation. This narrative must be no longer than three pages total.

Entries no longer require a presentation portfolio. An electronic file (PDF, PowerPoint, Word document, etc.) contain-ing your three-page narrative and any supporting materials that show evidence of your work are all that your entry requires.

Although, electronic submissions are preferred, you may submit your entry and supporting materials in hardcopy format. If hardcopy submis-sions are used, each piece must be no larger than 8 ½ x 11. Contact the JCD Chair for questions or any additional information.

Supporting materials can include any of the following:• Photos• Clippings or media coverage• Testimonials and patron comments• Research• Key messages• Promotional pieces• Screen shots of Web sites, electronic or social media pro-

motion

Entry forms are available online from the AmericanLibrary Association and EBSCO Publishing (www.ebscohost.com/academic/john-cotton-dana)Incomplete or late entries will be disqualified.

COPYRIGHT AND PUBLICATION PERMISSIONSThe John Cotton Dana Awards encourage creativity in library communications. However, if you plan to use trademarked or copyrighted material for any portion of your communication project, you must obtain permission before use, and include documentation with your entry. Entries including copyrighted material without legal written permission from the owner will be disqualified. By submitting an entry, all applicants agree to have their programs considered for publication and grant the American Library Association and its LLAMA division, EBSCO Publishing, and the H.W. Wilson Foundation full rights to publicize entries selected for publication, includingreproduction of selected sample illustrations and video clips.

ANNOUNCING THE AWARDSAwards for entries selected will be announced on April 27, 2012. All entrants will be invited to attend a special John Cotton Dana Awards Reception sponsored by EBSCO Publishing,the H.W. Wilson Foundation, and ALA and its LLAMA division

at the American Library Association Annual Conference, where award-winning campaigns will be honored.

EVALUATIon CrItErIaThe John Cotton Dana Award Committee members will evaluate the scope, relevance and effectiveness of your strategic communication campaign based on the following criteria:

Needs Assessment and Planning (35%)How did you determine the need for your strategic commu-nication program in the first place? Include a brief descrip-tion of the community served.• Community profile/demographics/social, cultural, eco-

nomic or learning focus• What need did your assessment identify? Why is it

needed? What’s the benefit?• What result will your communication be designed to

achieve?• Will your communication bring you closer to the result?

Will the result meet the need?• Any other research-formal or informal-that illustrates or

documents the need.• Specify all your target audience(s), including commu-

nity partners• List your communication goals• Set clear, relevant, meaningful, measurable objectives• Determine communication strategies and appropriate

tools• Show your project budget organized focus, and

research that provides the foundation for an effective strategic communication program.

Judges look for careful focus, research, planning and or-ganization of your communication campaign, with a focus on results: Will your plan lead to reaching your measurable objectives? They also look for how your planning process involved other parts of the library and other segments of the organization or community.

Implementation and Creativity (35%)The implementation of your plan, as well as originality and creativity of the public relations program are vital. • How did you implement your plan?• What tools, techniques, activities, materials and re-

sources did you use to reach your goals?• What print, digital and Web media did you use, if any?• How did outside organizations and individuals partici-

pate?• What graphics did you use?• Did everything include your library’s identity/brand?Judges review your implementation and relate it to your

plan. How well did you carry out your plans? Did you cre-ate unified and consistent graphics and effective, appro-priate media? Too often, enthusiasm for one element of a project leads away from the purpose of the plan. No mat-ter how great the graphic design, it still needs your logo.

Did you do a great job communicating about a traditional library program? Did your communication program break new ground-something the judges haven’t seen before? Imagination, out-of-the-box thinking, and working won-ders with a one-person staff and no money all count here.

Evaluation (30%)The evaluation phase is the most overlooked element in any public relations program, and depends on setting measurable objectives in the planning stage. Did you measure results? Increased participation? Reaching a set goal? What did you change along the way, and why? The judges consider evaluation very carefully. They look for a purposeful review of the program in the light of the follow-ing questions: • Did the program meet its goals and measurable

objectives? (List measurements that support the achievement of the program, or show areas for future improvement.)

• What were the successful elements of the plan and the results?

• What change, if any, took place in the target audi-ence?

• What, if any, difficulties were encountered and how were they handled?

• Did the program point out any changes that could be made to improve the library’s public relations?

• What did you learn from this project that you will use in your NEXT strategic communication effort?

CautIon: Follow InstruCtIons CarEFully!Entries that do not follow the guidelines may be disquali-fied. Decisions of the judges are final. All applicants will receive the judges feedback on their entry.

DEaDlInEEntries must be received by March 15, 2012.Email entries to johncottondana@ala.org

For information or questions regarding your entry, please contact Kim Terry, JCD Chair, at kterry@metrolibrary.org or (405) 606-3750.

Please complete this form and send it with your entry to arrive by March 15, 2012.Email your entry to: johncottondanaaward@ala.org

Library Category:

All types of libraries are welcome to enter, and international entries are welcome. Entry narrative must be in English for review.

College/University

Public

School

Special

State

Friends Group

Library Associations

Library Consortia

Other ________________________________

Country ______________________________

Materials Included:Send electronic versions of materials or appropriate websites used as part of the Strategic Communication Program you are entering for the John Cotton Dana Award. You do not need to produce additional media support exclusively for your entry.

Essential:Project Narrative (preferably .DOC or .PDF)Overall Presentation (.PDF, .DOC, .PPT, etc.)

Optional:Video, Audio, photos, PDFs, etc.

Please type your answers; include separate pages as necessary.

1. Sent by: ______________________________________________ (name of library, agency, or organization)

Address: _____________________________________________

City: _________________________________________________

State: ________________________ Zip or mail code: _________

Country: ______________________________________________

Phone: ______________________ Fax: ____________________

Library Director’s name: _________________________________

Contact Person for Entry:

Name: _______________________________________________

Title: _________________________________________________

Email: ________________________________________________

Phone: _______________________________________________ 2. Short, Descriptive Title of Entry Submitted:

_____________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________

3. Duration of public relations/strategic communication program entered. The program must have occurred entirely during 2011, the 2010-2011 academic year, or a multi-year project completed in 2011. Starting date: ______________________________________

Ending date: ____________________________________

4. Budget (entries are evaluated in budget category):

Total annual library budget (including payroll): ________________________________________________________

Cost of strategic communications program being submitted:

Cost to library: _____________________________________________________________________________

Value of in-kind contributions: __________________________________________________________________

Total cost of communication program: ____________________________________________________________

5. Project Participants:

Library staffing levels and budgets vary widely. Give reviewers a general idea of how your entry was developed and implemented. How much of your project was done by library employees?

In-House Contributions

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

External Support:

Did you use the services of an outside professional(s) on this program (for example, an advertising or public relations firm, media production company, graphic designer)?

Yes No

If “yes,” list the services, vendors, and costs:

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

6. Copyright/Trademark:

Did you use copyrighted materials? Yes NoIf “yes,”are written copyright use permission letters included for any copyrighted or trademarked material? Yes No

NOTE: If any copyrighted material is used in your project, you must include a written release from the copyright owner or your entry will be eliminated.

Questions? Contact the JCD Committee Chair Kim Terry: kterry@metrolibrary.org or (405) 606-3750.