Anne Harrison Award

This award is maintained by ALIA Health Libraries Australia.

Award History

Miss Anne Harrison (1923-1992) was librarian-in-charge of the Brownless Medical Library at the University of Melbourne (1949-1983), and founder of the Central Medical Library Organization (1953-1994). She helped pioneer the introduction of MEDLINE into Australia, and was a founder of the Australian Medical Librarians Group in the early 1970s, and later of the LAA Medical Librarians Section (now ALIA Health Libraries Australia). An ALIA Fellowship was conferred on her at the State Library of Victoria on 21st June 1989 by Averill Edwards, ALIA President.

Anne was extremely humbled by all the attention focused on her albeit delighted to have many of her former colleagues present. Afterwards, seventeen librarians shared a delicious banquet with her. They gave her a picturesque anthology of Australian gardening and a signed card as a memento of the dinner. Anne sent her thanks to Janet Riches, Secretary, Medical Libraries Section.

Award Recipients

Between 1987 and 2003 the Award was presented to individuals at the biennial national health libraries conferences. For a limited time in alternate years between the conferences (2000-5) a smaller, alternate year award was also available twice to fund a continuing education activity that was widely applicable to health librarians. For previous recipients please see below.

The 2024 joint winners of the Award are:

• Eunice Ang for “A quantitative survey and quality survey of health librarians use and awareness and teaching the use of methodological search filters in Australia.
• Gillian Kilby and Alice Anderson for “Consumer health resources in Australian health libraries”.

• Anita Dewi received a “highly commended” rating from the AHA Selection Panel for her application “A critical investigation into gap between health libraries’ expectations and early career health librarians’ skills and knowledge” and this project will also receive funding.

Objectives of the Fund

The objectives of the Fund are to provide financial assistance for:

Research projects that will:

• increase the understanding of health library and information services in Australia, or
• explore the potential for the further development of health library and information services in Australia

OR

Projects to enrich the knowledge and skills of Australian health librarians, to help support:

• an approved course of study or study tour, or
• a publication in the field of Australian health librarianship, or continuing education courses, including meeting the expenses of overseas speakers

Eligibility

Applicants shall not be limited to ALIA members or to librarians, provided proposals meet the objectives of the Fund.

Entry Format

• The application should deal with one specific project only
• The preferred method of delivery is by email. If a hard copy is submitted, one original and two other copies are required.

Application Content

• Details of principal applicant (name, address, qualifications)
• Details of other applicants (if applicable)
• Title of project
• Description (eg aims, methods, processes etc)
• Outputs and outcomes (eg professional development resources,  JoHILA publications, continuing education courses, etc that will be made available to all health library and information services)
• Proposed start date and expected duration
• Significance (the anticipated practical benefits)
• Plan and timeframe
• Itemised budget (including staff, travel, equipment etc)
• Amount of funding sought (up to $10,000)
• Financial support sought or obtained from other sources (if any)
• Referees (x 2)
• Curriculum Vitae of applicant(s)

Conditions

• Current Award Administrators and Health Libraries Australia executive members are ineligible to apply
• The decision of the Administrators in making the Award is final
• The Award will be announced at the most appropriate national health libraries event in the relevant year; and via email to the aliaHEATH e-list and through electronic and print publications
• Successful applicant(s) are to complete an Acceptance of Award form
• Once the winner has been declared they may be required to have human research ethics approval from an appropriate institution before they can receive the funds
• The recipient(s) must submit a progress report, within 6 months of receiving the Award. Thereafter progress reports are required every 6 months until completion. The Administrators reserve the right to withhold/withdraw funds if progress is not as negotiated and/or not acceptable to them.
• The recipient must submit the final report on the completed research (or deliverable) for publication on the HLA website and JoHILA, as agreed with the HLA Executive.

Assessment Criteria

• Does the application meet the aims of the Award?
• Does the application meet the conditions of the Award?
• Is the project likely to be relevant to most health library and information services?
• Does the project break new ground in health library and information services?
• Is the project unlikely to attract funding from other sources?

Please direct applications and inquiries to the Secretary via email