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Awards Chair




Summary:

The Awards Chair is a member of the CAL Board of Directors and is responsible for managing CAL’s annual writing awards program, including the update of rules and award categories, the processing of entries, and coordinating with judges.

Experience required for this position:

As Awards Chair, the incumbent should know the CAL bi-laws and writing awards rules, and be able to process entries in a fair and consistent manner.

Detailed responsibilities:

  • Attend meetings, usually nine each fiscal year, and provide updates and reports on the status of the CAL writing awards. Board meetings are normally not held in May, August and December.
  • Evaluate previous year’s rules, categories, and entry procedures, and recommend revisions and refinements based on previous year experience, entries, inquiries and suggestions.
  • Coordinate with and/or arrange judging for all categories in the CAL Writing Awards.
  • Answer inquiries about the upcoming CAL Writing Awards.
  • Process CAL Writing Award entries, including:
    • Developing/updating a tracking system for entries
    • Logging author, contact information, entry title, category, entry form and fee info
    • Confirming membership for all entrants
    • Photocopying the entry form and method of payment, for entries
    • Sending the entrant a confirmation email
  • Determining which categories have enough entries to be judged, per rules.
  • Sending entries to the judges, by category.
  • Sending general judging guidelines to judges and communicating with them through the judging period.
  • Working with judges, processing their recommendations for finalists in each category.
  • Notify finalists and provide them with CAL Finalist Stickers.
  • Make arrangements with and coordinate readings for finalists at The Tattered Cover, Book Bar, or other local book store.
  • Prepare poster to listing CAL Writing Award finalists (and their covers), to display in Tattered Cover and Book Bar in advance of the readings.
  • Compile judge statements for each of the category winners.
  • Prepare/script portions of the Awards Banquet program, giving finalists, winners, and judges statements for each category.
  • Provide CAL Award Winner stickers to each category winner.
  • Write or work with others to write shelf talkers and other winner benefits.
  • Prepare informational materials listing winners and finalists for organizations such as Colorado Assn. of Libraries

Time Requirements:

  • Nine Board Meetings – approximately 2 hours each.
  • Review of materials to prepare for 9 Board meetings – 1 to 2 hours each.
  • Review of rules and categories, prior to opening – 1 hour
  • Answer inquiries about the writing awards- 4 hours.
  • Processing entries – 40 to 60 hours.
  • Preparing and mailing entries to judges, by category – 4 hours
  • Notifying finalists and distribute finalist stickers – 2 hours.
  • Compiling judge statements for winners, and prepare script for awards program – 8 hours
  • Coordinating with Tattered Cover, Book Bar or other book store for finalist readings – 12 hours.
  • Writing or working with others on writing shelf-talkers – 2 hours
  • Preparing informational materials for Colorado Assn of Libraries – 4 hours
  • Preparing poster for display at Tattered Cover and Book Bar – 4 hours