Prince George Public Library is seeking outstanding local historians

The Prince George Library is on the hunt for local historians who are making a difference in the region.

Every year the library presents the Jeanne Clark Local History Awards to groups for individuals who have made outstanding contributions in the preservation and promotion of local history.

The library presents awards in two categories, one for publications and one for service. Tthe awards are presented each year in February during Heritage Week.

Nominations are now open for the 2019 edition of the awards; the deadline to submit is Jan. 4, 2019.

The objective of the awards is to increase interest in local history, to publicize the library’s role in preserving and promoting local history and to recognize individuals and groups for their work in preserving local history.

The service award was established in 1985, in memory of Jeanne Clarke, a former board chair who served on the library board from 1978 until 1984.

Clarke was a founding member of the Prince George Public Library’s Local History Committee and played a key role in establishing the library’s local history collection.

Her family also had a long history in Prince George, with her father Robert Carter arriving in Prince George in 1919 after serving in World War I.  Her mother, Susan, was a school teacher in South Fort George.  Although the family had three daughters, Clarke was the only one to remain in the city.

In 1993, the Prince George Public Library Board added a publication award category so authors could be recognized for producing an important new work in local history. Non‐fiction, biographies, historical fiction or any publication that improves the appreciation and understanding of local history is eligible for the award.

In 2018 the service award was given to the Regional District of Fraser Fort George for the Golden Raven Initiative which promotes cultural tourism. The publication award was given to Jay Sherwood for his book Oosta Lake Odyssey, about a couple who lived south of Burns Lake from the 1920s to 1950s.

The Prince George Retired Teacher’s Association also took home a publication award in 2018 for their four-part series, Historical Memories, which features all 138 former and present School District 57 schools.

Although the primary goal is to recognize the history of Prince George and the surrounding area, the library board broadly defines local history to include all of Northern B.C. so historical work with a regional focus is eligible for recognition.

Nominations can be emailed to [email protected] or mailed to Darcie Smith, Community Outreach Librarian, at 888 Canada Games Way, Prince George, B.C., V2L 5T6.