Emerson Greenaway Award

The Emerson Greenaway Award is the New England Library Association’s award for distinguished service in librarianship. In 1988, NELA President Christine Kardokas established the “Great Librarian Award” to recognize the contributions of exceptional librarians. The first recipient to be honored for his outstanding achievements was Emerson Greenaway, an innovator in library organization and practice in the mid-twentieth century. Two years later, this regional tribute was renamed the Emerson Greenaway Award to honor the memory of its first recipient. It is presented annually, whenever there is a worthy candidate, at NELA’s Annual Conference. A list of past recipients is available HERE.


Selection Criteria

  1. Since NELA represents the New England region, nominees for the award must have had an impact on the library field in the New England region.
  2. The nominee must be or have been, a member of the New England Library Association.
  3. The nominee must have made a major contribution to the field of librarianship in New England, such as:
    • Development of outstanding services in a field of expertise, such as administration, reference services, technical services, etc.
    • Involvement with developing library cooperation in New England.
    • Outstanding leadership in the field.

Selection Process

The Nominating Committee is responsible for soliciting nominations and for recommending a candidate for the award each year. NELA’s Executive Board is responsible for approving the selection. Do you know a worthy nominee? Complete the 2022 preliminary nomination form by June 1, 2021. The Nominating Committee will contact you regarding your nomination.


Past Recipients

YearRecipientYearRecipientYearRecipient
2019 Fay Zipkowitz 2021 Jen Alvino & Ed Garcia 2022 Michael York
2016 Cheryl Ann McCarthy 2017 Valerie Osborne 2018 Keith Michael Fiels
2013 Robert Maier 2014 Mary Ann List 2015 Mary J. Etter & Krista McLeod
2010 Molly Fogarty 2011 Shelley Quezada 2012 Mauren Sullivan
2006 Lucy Gangone 2008 Melody Allen  2009  Kendall Wiggin
2003 Shirley Adamovich 2004 Chris Kardokas  2005  Nolan Lushington
1999 Marshall Keys 2001 Margo Crist  2002  Lillian Edemann
1995 Liz Futas 1996 Anne Reynolds  1997  Patricia Klinck
1991 Ann Flowers 1993 Richard Olson  1994  Ching Chi Chen
1988 Emerson Greenaway* 1989 Eleanor Hashim* 1990 Donald Vincent

*In 1988 and 1989, the award was known as the Great Librarian Award. In 1990, it was renamed to the Emerson Greenaway Award.