Procedures for the ASA Gretchen Walsh Book Donation Award

1. The Book Donations Committee(BDC) forwards an updated call for applications to the ALC Webmaster and the editor of the Africana Libraries Newsletter and to the ASA Secretariat. The ASA Secretariat will post the announcement in the January and April issues of ASA News and send to other appropriate listservs.

2. The deadline for applications is April 30 each year.

3. Applications are sent to the ASA Secretariat. Applications are sent to the ASA Secretariat by electronic submission if possible, all accompanying documents can be scanned and sent via e-mail or by other electronic delivery. Hard copy is acceptable. By June 15th, the ASA Secretariat sends copies of applications received to the ASA Development Board and to the Chair of the BDC along with an electronic record of proposals received. The BDC Chair sends copies to the members of the BDC. Book Donation Committee Members reviewing proposals send their own email addresses and contact info by May 31 to the BDC chair so that all proposals can be sent to appropriate addresses of BDC members.

4. ASA Secretariat will notify Book Donations Chair of ASA Development Board meeting dates. BDC members confer via snail mail, telephone and e-mail. The BDC Chair sends the recommendations to the ASA Secretariat via e-mail by 15 of August so that ASA Secretariat can distribute ALC/BDC recommendations for board's consideration over the late summer or early fall. BDC also sends to the ASA, the electronic text of letters that will go to all applicants notifying them of their status with the award. ASA will place this electronic copy on ASA stationary and send to all applicants. For successful proposals, ASA will include award check in letter.

5. The ASA Secretariat distributes BDC recommendations to the members of the ASA Development Board over the summer or by August 15.

6. Board members may send questions or comments to the BDC Chair at any time before the Board meetings. The Chair sends such questions or comments to the chair/co-chair of the BDC for e-mail or telephone discussion and resolution.

7. The ASA Development Board formally approves the recommendations before the fall meeting.

8. Electronic copies of award letters are drafted by the BDC Chair who forwards them to the ASA Secretariat along with the recommendations by 15 August. The BDC Chair also drafts letters to the unsuccessful applicants and forwards them as above.

9. The ASA Secretariat sends the letters to applicants ASAP but not later than 6 weeks after the ASA announcement of the award. Checks to awardees should also be sent not more than 6 weeks after the ASA Annual Meeting. The awardees also receive an evaluation form with a deadline for a progress report and documentation of the project and its success. Permanent records are kept at the ASA Secretariat.

10. The BDC Chair writes an awards notice for the ASA News and the Africana Libraries Newsletter not later than two weeks after the letters and checks are sent. This letter will also be sent to the Book Donation Committee Webperson to post on the ALC Book Donation Committee site.

11. The award winners file reports with the ASA Secretariat on the completion of projects. The ASA Secretariat sends copies of these reports to the BDC Chair for distribution to the members of the BDC to use to develop web page and promotion of the award.

12. If reports are not received within six months, the BDC Chair asks recipients for progress reports and follows-up as necessary and appropriate.

The Book Donations Committee of the Africana Librarians Council , the oldest active section of the African Studies Association (ASA), works to support and fund donation initiatives. The committee’s roots can be traced back to discussions in the 1980s amongst librarians and publishers concerned about the state of libraries in Africa. The Book Donation Committee reviews applications for the African Studies Association annual Book Donation Award. ASA offers support to projects which best meet the criteria outlined in the Call for Proposals.