Librarian by Day

An awesome thing happened last week – almost simultaneously I got an email from Gale and saw on Stephen’s Lighthouse about the Librarian Superhero Contest. For those of you who don’t know I’m a comic book fan so I just love this idea. Its fun!  Some of you may even remember the Superhero’s meme kicked off by Jason that made the rounds a few years ago thanks to Hero Machine.

So about the contest! – emphasis added by me

1. How to Enter the Contest:

1.     Are You a Librarian Superhero (“Contest”) will begin on or around 8:00 am EST on Monday, January 31, 2011 and will end on or around 5:00 pm on Monday, February 28, 2011. All Contest times will be measured by the Sponsor’s computer system clock.

2.     Gale/Cengage Learning (“Cengage Learning,”  “Gale/Cengage Learning” or the “Sponsor”) is not responsible for miss-delivered, undelivered, illegible, incomplete or late entries, network outages, lack/loss of signal, untagged messages, or any other technological difficulties that may prevent submission.

3.     To participate:

• Visit the Are You a Librarian Superhero Facebook Web page www.gale.com/superhero
• Post your nomination for an outstanding librarian (each a “Nominee”) on our wall, including:
• the Nominee’s name; where they work; and what makes them exceptional.
• Include how this person makes a difference for the community and patrons, and how the library is improved because of their process or presence (each posting, an “Entry” and each participant posting a Nominee, an “Entrant”).

4.     Multiple Entries will not increase the odds of winning.

5.     Entries received after official end of the contest on the final day will not be accepted.

3. Selection of Winners

1.     You need not be present at ALA’s Annual Meeting to win.

2.     All Entries will be reviewed by a panel of Cengage Learning employees. Selection of 10 semi-finalists will be made, and presented to a panel consisting of Cengage Learning employees and several, independent librarians. (The actual identity of the semi-finalists will be withheld from the judges to maintain impartiality.)

3.     Entrants who nominate a semi-finalist will be contacted via Facebook for complete contact information and a photo of the Nominee.  Entrants and their Nominees who do not provide complete contact information and Nominees for whom a photo is not provided will be eliminated from the Contest and the Sponsor may replace such Nominees as semi-finalists, in its sole discretion.

4.     Judging Criteria (the following is an approximation and while the judges will seek to apply the following criteria as closely as practicable, winners are chosen in the judges’ sole discretion based on their judgment):

1.     20% – Showing leadership skills to forward the cause of the library, its patrons and the community.

2.     20% – Embracing new technologies to keep the library accessible and relevant to users.

3.     20% – Creating an environment that supports learning and fun, exploration and personal expansion.

4.     20% – Exhibiting determination, enthusiasm and the quest for sharing knowledge beyond the reach of their peers.

5.     20% – Insisting on play, engagement and pushing the boundaries.

5.     Four Nominee librarian winners will be selected, with their likeness being used to inspire a cartoon superhero, personifying the traits included in their nomination.

6.     Winners will be notified via phone the week of March 21, 2011.

4. Prizes:

1.     Winners will have a cartoon created in their likeness and printed on materials by Gale/Cengage Learning, including (but not limited to) a metal lunchbox (with an approximate value of US$20), trading cards (with approximate value of US$300 and signage (of deminimus value).

I strongly urge to go read the whole thing because it includes additional info on prices and other stuff like eligibility, conditions etc. I just posted the fun.exciting stuff.