Lifetime Service Award

A Lifetime Service Award is given by the Board of Directors to retired members: who have been active ACL members at least ten of the previous fifteen years prior to the date of retirement, and who have made significant contributions to the Association, or whose contributions to the field of librarianship while a member has been a benefit to the Association.

2024 – Sheila Carlblom & Linda Poston

Sheila has been a member of ACL since 1980 and has attended numerous conferences. She served as the Library Director at the University of Northwestern-St. Paul before becoming the Library Director at Indiana Wesleyan University. She retired from the IWU Jackson Library in 2023. During her library career, she built two libraries and has been a leader in countless committees, boards, faculty committees, and associations.

Within ACL, Sheila is probably best known in her role as ACL Treasurer, a position she held from 2002 through 2019 and then served as past Treasurer for a one-year term. But that is only a small piece of Sheila’s service to ACL. She first began serving on the ACL board in 1994 as a director-at-large, but also held roles as Vice President, President, and Past-President (In addition to treasurer). The only office she is missing is Secretary. Sheila also served as a member of the FACL Board when ACL and FACL existed as separate entities.

In addition to her board service, Sheila has served with the nominations team, most recently as the coordinator, financial advisory team, strategic planning team, personnel committee, development committee, and in ad hoc roles with the earliest form of the ACL website and organizational effectiveness task force. Sheila has served as conference host librarian twice! In 2006 and 2019, both at IWU. Sheila has also served as convenor of the Technical Services Interest Group for over 10 years. In 2019, she was recognized for her 25 years of service on the ACL board.

Here is what a few others had to say about her, “Sheila has led through service. She is an amazing mentor, leader, and friend who has empowered countless individuals throughout her career.” “Perhaps her most significant contribution won’t be building two libraries, or serving on multiple committees and boards, but it will be her impact on countless student workers, library technicians, and librarians she has personally mentored and empowered to live and give their best.” When thinking about Sheila, words like empowering, trustworthy, steadfast, organized, resourceful, nurturing, and Mama Bear come to mind. She is someone who speaks the truth in love, but will also fight for the people she cares about and loves. There are many within ACL who can say they are in leadership roles, either in our libraries or institutions or in ACL because of  Sheila’s influence in their lives. There are many passages of Scripture that could be used to describe her, but Proverbs 31 is perhaps the most fitting. She is wise, brave, courageous, caring, giving, graceful, and hardworking. We are blessed to have had Sheila’s influence in our association.

Sheila, thank you for your contributions to ACL and librarianship and for your continued investment in the members of ACL today.