Professor Emeritus Kenneth W. Butler and his wife, Elsie W. Butler, established a fund to recognize outstanding performance by a member of the Branford P. Millar Library faculty each year. The award recognizes excellence of library service to students, faculty, and other library patrons. All tenure-track or tenured library faculty are eligible to receive the award, except for individuals in purely administrative positions. (Note: Butler Award nominators may be from outside the library.) The guidelines for the award specify that classroom teaching, publications, and service to the University may also be taken into account. The recipient will receive a citation and a $1,500 taxable honorarium.
Professor Butler retired from the faculty of Portland State University in 1987, after 33 years of dedicated service. During that time, he helped guide the growth and development of the library in a variety of roles, including two periods during which he was Acting Director. University Librarian Emeritus Tom Pfingsten, said: "Ken Butler epitomizes the highest level of professionalism and excellence in librarianship. It is most fitting that an award bearing his name will recognize these qualities in current and future members of the PSU Library faculty." Elsie Butler, for whom the award is also named, is a retired librarian formerly with the Multnomah County Library.
The award recipient will be chosen by a selection committee composed of a PSU teaching faculty member, an enrolled PSU student, a PSU library emeritus faculty member, and a PSU alumnus not employed by the University.
For questions about this award, contact Michael Bowman (bowman@pdx.edu), 503-725-3690
Nomination materials for all Excellence Awards are to be submitted to excellence-awards@pdx.edu by the due dates listed below. Nomination materials will include a Nomination Google Form submission. All applications that are complete and submitted by the second Friday in February (February 14, 2025) will be considered eligible for review.
Note the following deadlines for 2025: