Hudson County Community College Library to Be Presented 2016 ACRL Excellence in Academic Libraries Award
February 5, 2016
February 5, 2016, Jersey City, NJ – Hudson County Community College (HCCC) has been notified that the College is one of just three academic libraries in the United States to be selected as a recipient of a 2016 Excellence in Academic Libraries Award from the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL). The award recognizes the staff of a college, university, and community college library for programs that deliver exemplary services and resources to further the educational mission of that institution. Macalester College DeWitt Wallace Library (St. Paul, MN) and Atlanta University Robert W. Woodruff Library (Atlanta, GA) were also named as recipients of the ACRL awards.
HCCC President Glen Gabert, Ph.D. said: “This award is testimony to the dedication and teamwork of our Library staff in attending to the needs of our students and our community. The ACRL has informed us that this is the first time any New Jersey college or university has been selected to receive this award, and we are especially proud to be the first.”
In a statement, ACRL Executive Director Mary Ellen K. Davis said: “These three deserving recipients demonstrate commitment to student learning, information literacy, and assessment with a focus on continuous innovation and engagement with the campus community that exemplifies today’s best academic and research libraries. Receiving an Excellence in Academic Libraries Award is a national tribute to each library and its staff for outstanding service, programs and leadership.”
Trevor Dawes, chair of the 2016 Excellence in Academic Libraries Committee noted that the HCCC staff – by incorporating information literacy components across all general education courses – positively impacted student learning. He also cited the HCCC Library staff’s leadership through the use of the iPad cart and the new HCCC Library Makerspace – one of the first such spaces to be opened on a college campus in the U.S.
HCCC Associate Dean for College Libraries Carol Van Houten related that in addition to successfully moving to and opening the College’s new Library at 71 Sip Avenue in Jersey City, the Library staff also created programming for one of the first academic library Makerspaces in the country, hosted two exhibits, collaborated with the Office of Student Activities in hosting coffeehouses and the College’s first Literary Salon, and created a book club. She said the Library strives to engage students through a variety of events and activities, such as gaming tournaments and arts and crafts.
“Through these events, Library staff make connections with students, so that when they do need help with research or an assignment, they think of the Library as a friendly and welcoming place,” she said. “Receiving this award is a tremendous honor for the College and the Library, and we are thrilled!”
The HCCC libraries serve more than 9,000 students and thousands of community members on the College’s Journal Square (Jersey City) and North Hudson (Union City) campuses.
Dr. Gabert said that the ACRL will make a formal presentation of the award to the College in early May. Details regarding the award presentation will be made available soon.