AUN receives presidential citation for ALA

The American University of Nigeria’s s e-Library has received the ‘2013 American Library Association Presidential Citation for Innovative International Library Project.’
The International Relations Round Table of the ALA recognized AUN for “transitioning towards a more cost-effective digital library from a traditional library which has greatly increased the resources available to students and faculty.”
“We are very pleased to have been chosen for this prestigious award,” said AUN’s President, Margee Ensign. “AUN hosts the largest wireless network in West Africa and was the first to pioneer a transition to e-books in Africa. Our e-Library boasts a collection of over 200,000 e-books as well as an enormous collection of online databases providing millions of e-articles accessible to students, faculty and staff from any location on campus and from anywhere they have access to the Internet. This award recognizes the hard work and outstanding leadership of AUN’s Librarian Amed Demirhan.”
“AUNL transformed from a traditional library to an e-library with the strong support of President Ensign,” said Amed Demirhan. “The library developed a campaign titled “99.9 per cent of your resources are electronic and the AUNL community eagerly embraced this campaign. In 2013, the library continues its campaign to go green by providing library resources by mobile devices. Its reference services and information literacy resources will be delivered to a smart phone and tablet. Faculty members, library staff, and students have embraced this campaign and invite other libraries and universities to increase access to digital resources and go green.”
The 2013 ALA Presidential Citation recognized three libraries, which were selected by a team of IRRT members in consultation with ALA President, Maureen Sullivan.
According to Jeannette Pierce, chair of the selection committee: “Each project represents library services that are innovative, sustainable, and valuable to the communities served. It is a delight to recognize these projects and share them with the global library community.”
IRRT Chair, Loriene Roy, added: “Recognition of these innovative projects illustrates IRRT’s mission to promote and share information about international librarianship.”
Recipients will be recognized by Maureen Sullivan at the 2013 ALA Annual Conference in Chicago, United States of America during the IRRT’s International Librarians Reception on July 1, 2013.
The ALA Presidential Citation for Innovative International Library Projects began as an ALA Presidential initiative of Dr. Loriene Roy, ALA President in 2007 to 2008.
IRRT is a roundtable of the American Library Association with a mission to develop the interests of librarians in activities and problems in the field of international library relations.
Founded in 2005, the American University of Nigeria is Africa’s first development university.
It is inspired by the vision of the founder, Atiku Abubakar, that knowledge acquired must be applied to benefit all people.
Located in Yola, AUN is the only private, co-educational American style university in Sub-Saharan Africa.
All students are required to participate in AUN’s development projects that range from literacy training using ICT to the Adamawa Peacemakers Initiative to the Farm School for Agricultural Entrepreneurship.
AUN is training young Africans to assume the leadership of their societies through a dynamic development process that is based on the enduring values of Africa’s vibrant cultures and rich past.