The Media/Virtual Presence (MVP) Award is given to those school librarians who show excellence in their virtual presence through several different avenues, including but not limited to Twitter, professional websites, Facebook, school library websites, blogs, Pinterest, and other social media. Winners of this award will be selected by the Texas Association of School Librarians (TASL) MVP Award Committee. The Committee will consider each applicant’s media/virtual presence as a total package. Applicants should, therefore, present the sum total of their online presence as one application.

Nominations are accepted between January 14 and March 2. The award will be presented at the TLA Annual Conference during the TASL general business meeting and program session.

Criteria

• Relevance: The web media pertains to K-12 libraries and includes relevant and currently updated information on books, programs, library updates, and library-related information that impacts school libraries and school communities.
• Timeliness: Updated and current. Web media must have consistent and regular postings during the preceding and current years. The postings should be a regular part of the librarian’s job and/or library activities.
• Social Interaction: Web media are directly responsive to library patrons, campus staff, and/or librarians as appropriate. Places to post comments and responses to posts are clear and encourage feedback (if part of the website).
• Blog Components: Different links, widgets, and/or media are displayed on the blog to evoke a feeling of interactive participation as well as timely information that relates directly to the library program. Student learning products and classroom-library collaboration are evidenced in the posting.
• Twitter Components: Tweets relate to multiple topics, include images and links, and engender retweets/faves that indicate interaction with others. Student learning products and classroom-library collaboration are evidenced in the tweet content.
• Appearance: Web media is accessible and can be easily searched. Images, tags, or hashtags are placed to help users find information readily. It is pleasing in appearance and the effort put into the appearance should be obvious. The writing is fluent, easy to read, free of typographical errors, and grammatically correct. (Or the writing follows the conventions of the tools such as comprehensible abbreviations on Twitter.) Copyright information/links are used and all links are active.

Categories: There will be an award for best MVP (Media/Virtual Presence) as well as two honorary awards for excellence.