The Research Committee may invite proposals for research presentation awards with the Annual Meeting call for proposals. Award(s) are at the discretion of the Research Committee and may be dependent upon factors such as number of submissions and Annual Meeting budget. 

To submit proposals for Research Presentation Awards, please be sure to select the research category when submitting to the respective Annual Meeting call for proposals.

Questions? Please reach out to the Research Committee Co-Chairs Danielle Masursky or Katy Smith

Criteria for Awards

Eligibility

The work presented in an award-eligible poster or presentation will either:

• Address a library-related, research question by gathering and analyzing data and/or
• Evaluate a library-related program or tool.

Criteria for Evaluating Posters and Presentations

Research Design 60%

• The question(s) to be answered by the research or evaluation process is(are) clearly defined.
• The need for, or results of, the research or evaluation are discussed within the context of relevant past work by the authors and others.
• Appropriate methods are used to conduct the research or evaluation.
• Appropriate methods are used to analyze the data.
• The question(s) to be answered by the research or evaluation is(are) addressed.

Clarity of Expression 15%

• For posters:
  • The text is clear, concise, articulate and well organized.
  • The use of color, text, graphics and white space is visually appealing and helps engage the audience with the poster content.

• For presented papers:
  • The presentation is verbally fluent, and the content is clear, focused and well organized.
  • The use of audio-visuals is appropriate and helps engage the audience with the subject matter of the presentation.

Originality 25%

In the area of originality weight will be given to:

• Importance of the presented findings to the field of librarianship.
• Timeliness of the research.
• Efforts of the presenter to coordinate his/her poster or presentation with that year’s conference theme.

Past Awardees

Virtual 2026

Virtual 2025

Virtual 2024

Paper: "What in the Assessment Are We Doing? A Snapshot of Student Learning Assessment in Health Science Libraries"
Presenters: Danielle Westmark and Teri Hartman

Viewer's Choice: "What in the Assessment Are We Doing? A Snapshot of Student Learning Assessment in Health Science Libraries"
Presenters: Danielle Westmark and Teri Hartman

Virtual 2023

Paper: "Building a Consensus for Tracking the Impact of Libraries: A Delphi Study"
Presenter: Gwen Wilson, Mayo Clinic Libraries

Lightning Talk: "Filling the Gaps: Collecting Instruction Data for Meaningful Benchmarking"
Presenter: Ellie Svoboda, Strass Health Sciences Library, UC Anschutz

Viewer’s Choice: "I Had to be a Little Bit More of an Expert: Information Practices of Early Clinical Health Professions Students"
Presenter: Nena Schvaneveldt, Spencer E. Eccles Health Sciences Library, University of Utah

Virtual 2022

Paper: “Piloting a Buddy Program for New Hires”
Presenter: Dana Abbey MLS, AHIP, University of Colorado-Anschutz
Other Authors: Nina McHale, MA, MA/MSLS, AHIP, University of Colorado-Anschutz. Kristen DeSanto, MSLS, AHIP, University of Colorado-Anschutz. Shandra Knight, M.S., University of Colorado-Anschutz. Christi Piper, MLIS, AHIP, University of Colorado-Anschutz. Ellie Svoboda, MLIS, AHIP, University of Colorado-Anschutz. Danielle L. Ostendorf, MLIS, Colorado School of Mines. Jacob Gallay, MLIS, MA

Poster or Lightning Talk: “Highlighting Hidden Costs: Assigning a Dollar Amount to the Library’s Contributions to Systematic Reviews”
Presenter: Ellie Svoboda, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Strauss Health Sciences Library

Viewer’s Choice Paper: “Piloting a Buddy Program for New Hires”
Presenter: Dana Abbey MLS, AHIP, University of Colorado-Anschutz
Other Authors: Nina McHale, MA, MA/MSLS, AHIP, University of Colorado-Anschutz. Kristen DeSanto, MSLS, AHIP, University of Colorado-Anschutz. Shandra Knight, M.S., University of Colorado-Anschutz. Christi Piper, MLIS, AHIP, University of Colorado-Anschutz. Ellie Svoboda, MLIS, AHIP, University of Colorado-Anschutz. Danielle L. Ostendorf, MLIS, Colorado School of Mines. Jacob Gallay, MLIS, MA

Viewer’s Choice Poster: No "call" for posters at this meeting

Viewer’s Choice Lightning Talk: "Highlighting Hidden Costs: Assigning a Dollar Amount to the Library's Contributions to Systematic Reviews"
Presenter: Ellie Svoboda, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Strauss Health Sciences Library

Virtual 2021

Paper:"Why Doesn't Anyone Want to Apply to our Jobs? A Qualitative Study on MLIS Graduate Student's Perceptions of and Interest in Health Sciences Librarianship" Christi Piper, MLIS, AHIP, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus; Samantha Wilairat

Poster or Lightning Talk: "Promoting Wellness and Community-Building in our Library Through Virtual Wellness Challenges" Heidi Greenberg, BS, and Carmin Smoot, MLIS, Spencer S. Eccles Health Sciences Library

Viewer’s Choice Paper: "JUNTOS Radio: Healthcare Providers, Librarians, and Community Members, Partner to Provide Credible Health Information through Spanish Podcasts" Brenda Linares, MLIS, MBA, AHIP, University of Kansas Medical Center; Mariana Ramirez Mantilla

Viewer’s Choice Poster: "Physician Assistant Student Perceptions of Evidence-Based Medicine Resources" Brittany R. Heer, MLIS, Butler University Libraries; Chris Roman, MA, MMS, PA-C; Chris Gillette, PhD; M. Jane McDaniel, MS, MLS(ASCP)SC

Viewer’s Choice Lightning Talk: Tie 
"Offering Online Training in Infographic Design through an Expert Speaker Event" Rosie Hanneke, MLS, and Tina Griffin, MSLIS, University of Illinois Chicago Library of the Health Sciences

"To Zoom or Not to Zoom?" Ellie Svoboda, MLIS, Strauss Health Sciences Library, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus

Virtual 2020

Paper: “Health Insurance Literacy Superheroes: Exploring Public Librarian Affordable Care Act Outreach” Emily Vardell and Ting Wang

Poster or Lightning Talk: “Big Things in Small Packages: Using Data from Targeted Emails to Facilitate More Concise and Impactful Information Delivery” Cynthia Flanagan

Viewer’s Choice Paper: “Revisiting the Value of Qualitative Research Strategies in the Time of COVID-19: Using Public Narrative Data as a Lens for Understanding Health Literacy Challenges” Donna Ziegenfuss

Viewer’s Choice Poster: “Distinctiveness in MCMLA: A Regional Study by the Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) Task Force” Jennifer Brady, Shandra Knight, Brenda Linares, Yumin Jiang, Maggie Shawcross, and Emily Vardell

Viewer’s Choice Lightning Talk: “Using Spreadsheet Formulas for Translation of Search Strategies” Kristen DeSanto

Omaha 2019

Paper: “Investigating Health Sciences Faculty Knowledge and Attitudes of Predatory Publishing” Stephanie Wiegand and Nicole Webber

Poster: “Elevating Librarian-Mediated Search Services: When 2nd Best Isn't Good Enough Good Enough” Danielle Drummond, Cynthia M. Schmidt, and Teresa L. Hartman

Viewer’s Choice: “Health Occupation Student Association (HOSA) Future Health Professionals -We Don’t Coast: We Engage, They Innovate, We Educate” Cynthia Cox, Julie Abbott, Inaki Rashid, Buffy Blunck, and Trudi Pecorelli

Virtual 2018

Lightning Talk: "A Bibliographic Analysis of Librarian Assistance on Systematic Reviews at CU Anschutz Medical Campus" Hannah Craven, Kristina Palmer, Christi Piper

Paper: "Information Needs of Community Health Center Staff" Dana Abbey

Viewer's Choice: "Graphic Medicine: Comics as Self-Care Tool for Undergraduate Students" Brenda Fay

Columbia 2017

Paper: "Evaluating the Consistency and Quality of Search Strategies and Methodology in the Cochrane Urology Group Systematic Reviews" Jennifer Lyon, Carrie Price, Jamie Saragossi, Clara Tran

Poster: "Almost One out of Five Requested Articles are Freely Available to the Public" Caryn Scoville, Katherine Emerson, Caroline James

Viewers' Choice: "Assessing the Effectiveness of Targeted Emails: Valuable Delivery Tool or Information Overload?" Kristy Steigerwalt, Nora Franco

Des Moines 2016

Paper: "Reddit Community Finds Health Answers From Reference Collaborative?" Dana Abbey, John Bramble, Betsy Kelly, Barb Jones, Jim Honour, Monica Rogers

Poster: "The Use of Retracted Publications in Systematic Reviews" Ben Harnke, Ahlam Saleh

Viewers' Choice: "MeSHing with Rounds: Question Topics Asked of a Clinical Librarian" Kristen DeSanto, Emily Petersen

Salt Lake City 2013

Paper: “Chat Unbound: What are our patrons asking us about in chat conversations?” John Jones

Poster: “Partnering with State Libraries: Supporting Public Li-brary Health Information Programs and Training.” Barb Jones, Jim Honour, Betsy Kelly, John Bramble, Dana Abbey, Marty Magee, Rachel Vukas.

Viewer's Choice Award: “Taking it to the streets: the ITest IPad community based organization project” Dana Abbey, John Bramble, Barb Jones, Rachel Vukas

Kansas City 2012

Paper:"Role of Libraries in Disaster Relief." Kalyani Ankem, Gwen Wilson, Jayne Johnson

Poster:"Changing Our Communication Game Plan." Claire Hamasu, John Bramble, Marty Magee

Most Innovative Paper or Poster:"Reverse Information Specialist in Context?" Jean Shipman, Joan Stoddart, Joan Gregory, Abby Adamczyk, Peter Jones, Shelli King

St. Louis 2011

Paper: "Return on Investment Studies in Health Sciences Libraries." Crystal Cameron-Vedros, Deborah Carman, Robert A. Pisciotta, James Bothmer, Nancy Woelfl

Poster: "Hospital Libraries: A Commonality among America's Best Hospitals." Jenny Garcia

Most Original Idea: "Re-evaluate Your Library Website Using Card Sorts." Abby Adamczyk, Amy Honisett, R. Todd Vandenbark

Wichita 2010

Paper: "Health Sciences Libraries: Is There Return on Investment?" Nancy Woelfl, Linda Wilkie, Stephen Maack, Paula Turpen

Poster: "Views of the Library: A Regional Study in Selected Missouri and Colorado Libraries." Deb Ward, Maryellen Sievert, Dirk Burhans, Barb Jones, Margaret Bandy, Jerry Carlson, Sandy Decker, Holly Henderson

Most Original Idea: "Three Dimensional Virtual Reality Models." Greg Hollins, Diana Boone

Breckenridge 2009

Poster: "Small Changes in Library's Web Page Bring Big Changes in Patron Satisfaction." Marie St. Pierre, MLIS Clinical and Research Library, The Children’s Hospital.

Paper: "Changing Attitudes and Reaching New Altitudes via Results of the MLA/NLM Health Information Literacy Research Project (HILRP). " Jean P. Shipman, MSLS, AHIP, FMLA, University of Utah; Lenora Kinzie, MLS, Stauffer Health Sciences Library, Stormont-Vail Healthcare; Carla J. Funk, MLS, MBA, CAE, Executive Director, Medical Library Association.

Cody 2008

Poster: "Using Clickers to Show Students That They Are Facing Some Unexplored Territory." Cindy Schmidt, MD, MLS, and Lisa Killam-Worrall, PharmD, PCPS, McGoogan Library of Medicine and College of Pharmacy, University of Nebraska Medical Center.

Paper: "The Dog & Pony Show: Developing and Growing a Clinical Library Service." Kate Anderson, MA, MLS, Zalk Veterinary Medical Library, University of Missouri-Columbia.