The Conference of Inter-Mountain Archivists (CIMA) is currently accepting nominations for the 2023 CIMA Awards. Up to five awards may be presented at the CIMA Annual Meeting held in Logan, Utah, on May 10-13, 2023. The five proposed awards are Lifetime Achievement, Service, Mentor, Archival Projects, and Innovator.
Lifetime Achievement Award
Presented by the peers and colleagues of the recipient, the prestigious CIMA Lifetime Achievement Award acknowledges and demonstrates appreciation for a life of service and leadership in the archival profession or for significant continued support of the archival community and its institutions. Nominees must have demonstrated strong leadership and advanced scholarship on both regional and national levels. The 2022 recipient was Paula Mitchell, Special Collections Librarian/University Archivist for Southern Utah University (SUU).
Required for nomination: Nomination letter, CV or resume of nominee
Optional: Up to two (2) supporting letters of recommendation
Service Award
The CIMA Service Award is given to an individual who has made significant contributions in recent years to the CIMA organization, to the archival institutions of the intermountain region, or to the archival profession. The award is given in appreciation for service, leadership, and support of the region’s archival community. Nominees must have demonstrated an inspirational spirit and have worked to build a career based on service but may not have yet achieved many of the career milestones required for the Lifetime Achievement Award. The 2022 recipient was Gina Strack, Utah State Archives and Records Service.
Required for nomination: Nomination letter, CV or resume of nominee
Optional: Up to two (2) supporting letters of recommendation
Mentor Award
In connection with the CIMA Mentoring Program, the Mentor Award celebrates those CIMA members who strive to help cultivate career development in the archival community and who have worked with students or new professionals to build professional knowledge and expertise within the next generation. Nominees must have advocated for students and/or new professionals; provided guidance in professional development and self-assessment; and helped students and/or new professionals build a professional network through collaborations and introductions. Nominees must also have demonstrated sustained commitment to creating a productive working environment that enhances the archive work experience. The 2022 recipient was Sarah Jones, University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) Special Collections and Archives.
Required for nomination: Nomination letter (500 words or fewer)
Optional: Up to two (2) supporting letters of recommendation (each 500 words or fewer)
Archival Projects Award
This award recognizes an archivist, group of archivists, repository, or organization that worked on an archival project which has significantly benefited or impacted its community, the archival profession, or the intermountain region. The work must have taken place within three years of the nomination and does not need to be completed but must have advanced sufficiently to demonstrate results. The last recipients were Kelli Luchs and Ilana Short for their work on the Las Vegas Lineup project (2019).
Required for nomination: Nomination letter (500 words or fewer)
Optional: Final product or other documentation of the project such as photographs, a brochure, or a website
Innovator Award
The Innovator Award recognizes an archivist, group of archivists, repository, or organization in the intermountain region that has demonstrated creativity or innovation in their work, resulting in an improved work process, program, event, or product. Nominees must have applied creativity or innovation in approaching professional challenges; demonstrated thinking outside of professional or institutional norms; and translated creativity, innovation, and new thinking into working solutions. The last recipient was Elizabeth Woolcott for improving cataloging and metadata workflows at the Utah State University Libraries (2019).
Required for nomination: Nomination letter (500 words or fewer)
Optional: Photographs, brochure, website, or other documentation
Nomination and Selection Process
Please submit letters of nomination and appropriate documentation to Natalie Johnson Pearmain at natalie.johnson@churchofjesuschrist.org. Additional materials that are not listed as required or optional will not be considered. Nominations must be submitted by a CIMA member; however, nominees do not have to be members of CIMA. All members are encouraged to participate in the nomination process and may remain anonymous if desired. The deadline for submission is February 17, 2023.
Nominations will be reviewed by the CIMA Awards Committee, which is comprised of members from Arizona, Idaho, Nevada, and Utah. The committee will recommend award recipients to CIMA Council on March 10; recipients and their nominators will be notified by March 17, 2023.
