You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser to improve your experience.

Close
Search
Join TLA

Branding Iron Awards

Honoring creative marketing and public relations projects and activities.

Whether they have substantial marketing funds and staff, or a shoe-string budget and marketing is among ‘other duties as assigned,’ librarians are creating amazing work to promote their services, programs, and events. TLA’s Branding Iron Awards honor this inspiring and creative work with awards presented in several categories, and one overall Best of Show winner.

The deadline for submission has passed. Applications for 2025 will open in September 2024.

Categories

Each category will honor a winner from an academic, school, public and special library (if entries are received from all library types).

Fundraising, Annual Report, Strategic Plan

Special Events, Exhibits: marketing, public relations and community outreach initiatives to promote these events.

  • Literacy Nights, fundraising event, special one-time program/featured speaker or community event, or a topical exhibit offered for a limited time.

External Communications: print or digital marketing not associated with a reading program, special event, or exhibit.

  • Newsletters, calendars, orientation materials, email marketing, brochures, book lists, bibliographies, signs, postcards, flyers, swag, etc.

Digital Only Communications: ongoing marketing that does not exist in print format

  • Social media feeds, podcasts, video channels (YouTube, Vimeo, etc.), complete redesign of website

Reading Programs: marketing, public relations and community outreach specifically to promote reading programs

  • Reading programs for any season, any age; school-wide reading programs; community reads

The Rules

The entry deadline is 5:30pm, February 15. Winners are notified in  March.

  • Eligible entries must be promotional activities conducted in the past two years.
  • Entries are accepted online (preferred) or via email. We are no longer accepting entries via mail.
  • All entries and supporting materials will remain with TLA. The association reserves the right to publish any and all entries on the TLA website and in other online or print publications.
  • Submitting organizations must have copyright ownership of all items submitted for consideration. Submitter acknowledges that he/she has full copyright authority to assign use rights to TLA

Online entries

Complete the Google Form and upload all materials including, but not limited to, supporting information, photographs, brochures, advertisements, newsletters, posters, etc. If submitting radio spots or other audio, or videos, either include the digital files or a web link to where they are hosted (YouTube, Dropbox, etc.). You may upload up to 10 files, of any file type, with a maximum file size of 1GB.

NOTE: If you use the online form to submit your entry, you will be required to sign into your Google account.

If submitting in multiple categories, complete an online form and provide supporting information for each entry. Online entries must be received by 5:30pm February 15.

Emailed Entries

If you prefer not to use the Google Form, complete the PDF entry form. If submitting in multiple categories, complete a form and provide supporting information for each entry.

Include the complete entry form and responses with copies of all supporting materials including but not limited to, photographs, brochures, advertisements, newsletters, posters etc.

If submitting radio spots or other audio, or videos, either include the files on a flash drive or specify the web link where they are hosted (Dropbox, YouTube, etc.) in your supporting documentation.

Email your complete entry form and responses with all supporting materials to  Wendy Woodland, TLA director of advocacy and communications by February 15. Please compress or zip large files.

Judging

  • Eligible entries will be judged by a panel according to the quality of the final product and campaign/project outcomes.
  • Each category will honor a winner from an academic, school, public and special library (if entries are received from all library types).
  • An overall Best of Show will be awarded to one entry and will be presented at the TLA Annual Conference.

For more information, contact Wendy Woodland, TLA director of advocacy and communications.

Branding Iron Award Past Winners
Download

 

 

Latest News
View all News

Between the Lines: March Member Spotlight

Between the Lines: Member Spotlight, TLA Membership, TLA News

Linda Stevens Division Director – Programs, Partnerships & Outreach Harris County Public Library   What inspired you to become a librarian? I always felt at home in the library, in school […]

Read More

Staff Spotlight: Alison Urban

TLA News, TLA Staff Spotlight

Alison Urban Director of Administration   What are your job responsibilities at TLA?  I oversee the administrative functions, including office management, finance, accounting, budgeting, and Human Resources. Tell us three […]

Read More