CLA PRExcellence Awards

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About the award | Current award recipients

The PRExcellence Awards honor the highest quality efforts of California libraries in promoting and communicating their message to their customers. Libraries are encouraged to submit their best PR materials!

There are four PRExcellence Award entry categories:

Print,
Electronic,
Event or Campaign, and
Wildcard.

Up to three awards are given within each of these categories: first place winners at each of three library budget levels: under $10M, $10M-$30M, and $30M and above. A Best in Show award is also given. PRExcellence award recipients are honored and showcased during the annual CLA conference.

This nomination cycle will include submissions for materials used in 2024. The application period for the 2025 PRExcellence Awards has closed.

Award Information

Application period

The application period for the 2025 PRExcellence Awards has closed.

Eligibility

California libraries and library affiliates, such as Friends and Foundations, are invited to participate in the PRExcellence Awards.
Groups and/or libraries applying for a PRExcellence Award must be CLA Institutional Members*. If unsure about your library's institutional membership status, please contact the CLA Office no later than two weeks prior to the deadline.
Entries must have been created and used in 2024.

How to apply

Applicants should use the online application link below to submit the following to CLA:

Title of entry
Category of entry:
1. Print: submissions may include brochures, bookmarks, print newsletters, flyers, and posters, etc.
2. Electronic: submissions may include websites, videos, use of social media, and electronic newsletters, etc.
3. Event or Campaign: the format may vary but all aspects of the entry must focus on a common event, theme, or goal, for example, a large-scale initiative coordinated with a city or county government, a system-wide library program, a community fundraising effort, library building opening, etc.
4. Wildcard: Marketing materials that don't fit into any of the other categories.

Size of organizational budget: (1) less than $10M, (2) $10M-$30M, (3) greater than $30M
A detailed project description. Please be sure to include the following: project goal, how the piece helped you achieved the goal, the intended audience, and how the success of the project was measured. (Not to exceed 500 words.)
Examples of the materials being submitted for award consideration:
- Printed materials: Materials in print format should be postal mailed to the CLA PRExcellence Awards Committee. Please enclose 10 copies of each printed piece and attach a printout of your completed application form to each set of copies submitted. Applications and all supplementary materials must be received by the entry deadline. The items will be distributed to PRExcellence Awards committee members and will not be returned. Please mail your materials to:
  
  CLA PRExcellence Awards Committee
  1055 East Colorado Blvd., 5th floor
  Pasadena, CA 91106
- Digital Materials: Materials in electronic format should be emailed to Sharon Tani. Files size should not exceed 15 MB. Please include the library’s name, project name, entry category and budget in the body of the email.

Entries will be assessed according to their visual appeal, relevance to the target audience, clarity of brand or identity, originality, creativity, and overall impression.

Further information

The CLA PRExcellence Awards Committee reserves the right not to give an award if a qualified candidate is not found.
Applications and all supplementary materials must be received by the deadline - June 13th, 2025.
If you have questions regarding the award nomination process, please contact Sharon Tani.
If you have trouble with the nomination application, please contact webmaster@cla-net.org.