Tip Sheet

General Main Tasks:

1. Chairs should liaise with out-going chairs for ins and outs of committee processes.
2. Identify and open the lines of communication with your subcommittee colleagues.
3. Familiarize yourself with the award description, including eligibility and application deadline.
4. Identify section/roundtable representative liaisons.
5. Follow awards calendar and meet deadlines.
6. Publicize/advertise your award in variety of mediums; use your personal networks to spread the word; plant seeds with prospective nominees and remember that self-nominations are acceptable.
7. Deliberate and select.
8. Notify recipient(s) and nominator(s) via email (and in hard copy on SAA Letterhead if requested).
9. Notify nominators of non-winners via email (do not notify non-winners themselves UNLESS theirs was a self-nomination or you are certain they are aware of the nomination).
10. Create citation (approx. 150 words) which SAA will use for press release, web site, Awards Ceremony. 
11. Communicate with recipients regarding ceremony details (date, time, location, etc.).
12. Pass down to incoming chairs the ins-and-outs of subcommittee procedures.
13. Subcommittee chairs should get alternate phone numbers or email addresses from each member.

Deadlines:

1. The deadline for all award nominations/applications is February 28. 

Publicity:

1. SAA logo is available for advertising/publicizing awards (contact Rana Salzmann).
2. SAA staff can assist and/or provide direction (contact Rana Salzmann).
3. Take advantage of the A&A list and allied professional listservs; for more targeted advertising, consider SAA section and roundtable listservs; use your personal networks to spread the word.
4. Invite people to submit nominations or to nominate themselves.
5. Does your subcommittee have a codified list of publications, listservs, or other venues for publicizing the award?  If not, start one and pass it on!

Selection:

1. Subcommittee Chairs should initiate communication with their committee members as soon as nominations are received from SAA.
2. Decide how you will proceed and set deadlines.
3. Review nominations to ensure eligibility and notify Awards Committee Co-chairs of ineligible nominations. Awards Committee Co-chairs will handle any ineligible nominations.
4. Is there a standard protocol or tool used by the subcommittee for selection? If not, create one.
5. Once the selection is made, Subcommittee Chairs should notify the Awards Committee Co-chairs and awards@archivists.org.
6. On the date specified by SAA, contact the winning recipient and nominator, and copy the Awards Committee Co-chairs and awards@archivists.org on these communications.
7. Subcommittee Chairs should then notify the nominators whose nominations were NOT selected.  Do NOT notify nominees who were not selected EXCEPT if theirs was a self-nomination or you are certain they are aware of the nomination. Again, copy the Awards Committee Co-chairs and awards@archivists.org on these communications.
8. Submit your letters and citations to the Awards Co-chairs on time
9. For award prizes that include traveling to the annual meeting, annual meeting registration, and/or complimentary membership, the winners should contact the SAA Service Center Manager Carlos Salgado.

Pay It Forward:

1. Document your procedures so that they are available for your successors. Send new and/or revised documentation to Rana Salzmann for posting on the Awards Committee microsite.

Ideas and Suggestions:

1. What worked for your selection committee? What didn’t work?
2. How would you enhance the process?
3. Please pass along your ideas and suggestions to the Awards Committee Co-chairs 

If you feel stuck or aren’t sure, contact the Awards Committee Co-chairs!